Every autumn, international climate diplomacy meets at the invitation of the United Nations for the annual conference — every year in a different country. But already in spring each year, at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in or around Berlin, what will be the defining topic in the autumn becomes evident. After in spring 2025 everyone wanted to stand united against U.S. President Donald Trump, this year the fossil energy crisis following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the context of the Iran war is in focus.
“I am sure that the current fossil energy crisis will accelerate electrification,” said Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) at the opening of this year’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue. This electrification, i.e., driving industry, transport and heating with electricity instead of oil and gas, is a “megatrend.”
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue has been hosted by Germany since 2010 so that ministers can discuss informally well before the UN Climate Conference in autumn and identify points of contention early. The venue this Tuesday and Wednesday was a conference center in the industrial area of Berlin’s Westhafen.
On Tuesday morning, the ministers’ limousines alternated with heavy trucks that unloaded cargo from ships or ferried it to ships, squeezing their way between the conference center and the harbor basin. Last year, the summit took place in the majestic halls of the Federal Foreign Office at the invitation of then Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens). Under the Merz government, climate diplomacy has visibly lost in importance.
Merz Bets on Innovation Again
The chancellor’s Wednesday afternoon speech also conveyed this: he stands by Germany’s climate targets and Germany intends to make its “fair contribution” to climate protection—after all, the country accounts for 2 percent of global CO2 emissions, while comprising only 1 percent of the world’s population. But other countries should please do their part as well.
Germany relies on the innovative strength of industry, says Merz, and green sectors are already a growth engine. The chancellor acknowledged that “we are witnessing how global warming fuels conflicts and pushes up economic costs.” But climate protection must “not jeopardize our industrial base.” How this should work, aside from vague references to new technologies, he did not say. The impression remains: Merz would rather slow climate protection than accelerate the climate-friendly transformation of the economy in case of doubt.
“We all feel that climate protection is under pressure,” said Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) again on Tuesday. The world also feels “the effects of the energy crisis every day.” This shows the vulnerability that comes with dependence on fossil fuels. “For our security and for the climate” the expansion of renewable energy must therefore be advanced.
Christoph Bals, political managing director of the environmental organization Germanwatch, observed a spirit of renewal during the talks at the summit: “The discussions are largely driven by the high energy prices worldwide,” he said. “Many decisions to accelerate the electrification of the economy have not only been announced, but already implemented, especially in Asia.”
In the End It Will Come Down to Money Again
“Fossil fuels provide no energy security,” emphasized Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum as well. He is organizing the next UN Climate Conference in Antalya, Turkey, this fall, while Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen is to lead the negotiations. “In Dubai we agreed to diversify energy sources,” Kurum said, and implicitly pointed out that at the Dubai summit in 2023 not only energy diversity but above all the move away from fossil fuels was decided — a formulation no climate conference has been able to settle on since then.
South Africa’s Environment Minister Willie Aucamp nevertheless emphasized South Africa’s “absolute dedication” to renewables. His country is now visited every three years by “devastating floods.” Forest fires in the Western Cape are becoming more intense and frequent. He therefore urged closing the gap between the money promises by rich countries for climate protection and adaptation and the actual support provided.
In this way, Aucamp highlights the problem that already contributed to the disappointing outcome of the UN Climate Conference 2025 in Brazil: when the EU demands faster climate action but at the same time wants to spend less on development cooperation, it ends up isolated. Germany’s climate-financing target of 6 billion euros per year, still announced by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2021, expired in 2025. A new target remains owed by Merz.
