25
NOV
2024
The inadequate implementation of the decision of the UN Climate Conference in 2009 in Copenhagen (COP15), the rich industrialized countries should provide developing countries with 100 billion US dollars per year from 2020 for measures to protect the climate and to adapt to climate damage, has already been sharply criticized by experts. On the one hand, observers pointed out that the 100 billion threshold was not reached until 2022, i.e. with a two-year delay. On the other hand, an analysis by the development organization Oxfam showed that about 70 percent of the funds that the affluent states diverted from their households were not grants, but merely loans, in some cases even loans not even at discounted conditions, but at market-standard interest rates. Oxfam estimated the grants actually paid in 2022 at at most 28 to 35 billion US dollars.[ 1] This also weighs heavily because the money was actually intended to compensate for the fact that the industrialized countries had achieved their prosperity with massive CO2 emissions, while the developing countries were now suffering the most from the consequences of CO2 emissions, Oxfam judges: The fact that the developing countries repaid the loans, i.e. deceiving a large part of the costs for the compensation themselves, "contradicts all principles of justice". 2]
It has long been clear that the sum of 100 billion US dollars per year is far from enough to promote the fight against climate change and precautions against the climate damage in the Global South that cannot be prevented. Independent experts assume that at least one, but preferably even 1.3 trillion US dollars per year will have to be raised.[ 3] The UN Climate Conference in Baku now decided that the payments of the industrialized countries to the developing countries will be increased to 300 billion US dollars by 2035; the 1.3 trillion are only mentioned as a completely non-binding target size, and this only including all kinds of private and multinational donors. The German government had recently reserved 6 billion euros a year for climate spending in the Global South, but was quoted in Baku as stating that it was "completely unrealistic for trillions of money to come from the budgets" of the Western industrialized countries.[ 4]
Berlin thus sets clear priorities. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) alone, the German government has paid 15.9 billion euros in war support to Ukraine until the end of August; in the same period, 43.8 billion euros were added from the pots of the EU. The vast majority of the funds were spent after April 2022, i.e. after the time when a ceasefire would have been possible on the basis of the Istanbul agreements - under significantly better conditions than those Kiev can currently hope for. 5] In addition, a massive increase in the Bundeswehr budget is planned. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius insists on an amount of up to 3.5 percent of the German gross domestic product; currently this would be more than 140 billion euros.[ 6] Pistorius is therefore of the opinion that budget funds could loosen up 85 to 90 billion euros annually for the upgrading. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen already declared in June that the Union would need 500 billion euros in the next decade to pay for the procurement of new armaments. 7] Money for the German-European military and great power policy is therefore planned on a large scale.
The fact that Berlin and Brussels - in contrast - are not willing to spend higher sums on the urgent climate policy concerns of the Global South is of course indirectly contrary to the foreign policy objectives of the Federal Government. These include the intention to strengthen its own influence in the Global South again - especially since it has been shown that the South does not follow the West in its Russia sanctions and the rearmament of Ukraine with a few exceptions. The West is thus globally isolated. However, the fact that Berlin and Brussels are calling for a determined commitment to the climate worldwide, but are not willing to pay the necessary funds, is not well received in the South.[ 8] "We are extremely disappointed by the lack of progress on the issues that are important for Africa," said Kenyan Ali Mohamed in Baku, who acted as chief negotiator for the African states.[ 9] The representative of Nigeria called the limitation of support to 300 billion US dollars a "joker" and an "insuffent". India's negotiator Chandni Raina called the amount "poor" or "abysmal small" and firmly rejected the determination of the sum.[ 10]
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock tried to divert the anger over the refusal of payment by the industrialized countries - including Germany and the EU - to those countries that produce oil and natural gas on a large scale, including the COP29 host Azerbaijan. "We Europeans will not allow," explained Baerbock, staging herself as a fighter for the Global South, "that the most vulnerable states in the world, especially the small island states", are now being pulled over the table by some of the oil and natural gas states" - "and in case of doubt also with the backing of the COP presidency", i.e. Azerbaijan. 11] Baerbock did not mention that Azerbaijan is seeking to increase its natural gas production because the EU and its member countries have agreed with Baku on a significant expansion of natural gas supplies [12] in order to be able to boycott Russian natural gas. "I'm sure," she confirmed: "What we see here is a last boom of the old fossil world." The German Foreign Minister also did not comment on whether this meant the suppliers or the buyers of fossil fuels - for example natural gas from Azerbaijan.
[1], [2] Leila van Rinsum: Contribution schöngerechnet. taz.de 09.07.2024.
[3] Max Bearak: Climate Talks End With a Bitter Fight and a Deal on Money. nytimes.com 23.11.2024.
[4] Climate summit agrees on 300 billion for poorer countries. n-tv.de 23.11.2024.
[5] S. No will to a ceasefire.
[6] S. on this "Think big and make big".
[7] Aurélie Pugnet: EU's von der Leyen assesses bloc's defence needs to €500 billion. euractiv.com 27.06.2024.
[8] S. also Colonial thought templates.
[9] "Not just a failure, but a fraud". tagesschau.de 24.11.2024.
[10] India Denounces Baku Climate Finance Deal, Says Concerns Ignored. barrons.com 23.11.2024.
[11] Baerbock accuses fossil states of power play. tagesschau.de 23.11.2024.
[12] Gabriel Gavin: Europe's Azerbaijan gas gambit is good news for Russia. politico.eu 20.11.2024.