Diplomacy Swiss delegation satisfied with agreement at world climate conference
The Swiss delegation has expressed its satisfaction with the agreement reached at the World Climate Conference in Azerbaijan to increase climate aid. The head of the Swiss delegation spoke afterwards of a successful conclusion. However, he was also partly disappointed.
24.11.2024, 03:03
24.11.2024, 11:01
SDA
A total of at least 1.3 trillion US dollars is to flow annually until 2035, 300 billion of which is to come primarily from industrialized countries. The 300 billion and thus a tripling of the previous amounts can be achieved, said environmental ambassador Felix Wertli afterwards by telephone to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The money is intended to help developing countries pay for more climate protection and adapt to the fatal consequences of global warming - such as more frequent droughts, storms and floods.
Contribution not yet defined
Switzerland - like all other countries - is not specifically obliged to make payments as a result of the decision taken at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29). The Federal Council will adopt a report in 2025 in which a "fair" contribution from Switzerland will be defined, said Wertli. It is not just about paying more money directly, but also about mobilizing funds.
In an interview with Swiss radio and television in the run-up to the agreement, Environment Minister Albert Rösti described the expectations of developing countries as "beyond good and evil". Switzerland is already fulfilling its historic obligation by "already contributing 700 million per year to climate protection, proportionally more than can be expected of it compared to other countries", said Rösti.
More donor countries and additional funds
To date, the traditional industrialized countries have mobilized a good 100 billion US dollars in climate aid every year. However, according to an independent UN expert group, the need for external aid is now around one trillion US dollars per year by 2030 - and as much as 1.3 trillion by 2035.
In order to achieve this investment target, the agreement states that multilateral development banks should also extend significantly more loans or cancel the debts of poor countries. Public money and that of the banks is also to be used to leverage private investments on a large scale, which will also be counted as climate financing.
At the climate summit, Switzerland also pursued the goal of increasing the number of donor countries for investments in global climate protection. This goal has been achieved, said Wertli. The agreement therefore provides for an expansion of the donor countries to include rich emerging economies.
Further rules for the global market mechanism were also adopted at the climate summit. The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) welcomes this, as it announced on Sunday. This would allow countries to implement climate protection projects abroad under the Paris Agreement and have the emission reductions achieved counted towards their national climate target. Switzerland had worked towards such rules, which would prevent the double counting of achieved emission reductions and establish an effective market for emission reductions.
Disillusionment and disappointment
The head of the delegation was disappointed with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The Swiss delegation would have liked a stronger message on the commitment to the 1.5-degree climate target, said Wertli. Federal Councillor Rösti had reaffirmed Switzerland's 1.5-degree climate target at the climate conference.
The environmental organization WWF Switzerland criticized the agreement on 300 billion dollars annually as "completely inadequate". Switzerland should have discussed a fair share of the new financial target in advance. Hardly any progress had been made on the planned phase-out of fossil fuels either. Switzerland had campaigned for a clear roadmap, but had been thwarted by the gas and oil states in particular.
Greenpeace Switzerland called for Switzerland to finally tackle the challenges of climate protection and move away from fossil fuels after the disappointing conclusion. The new Electricity Act paves the way for a transition away from fossil fuels. However, climate compensation abroad is just as much an obstacle to sustainable development as the return of nuclear energy. Switzerland has the potential to produce sufficient renewable energy, particularly with photovoltaics, and to save energy.
The aid organization Swissaid is also calling on Switzerland to offset its greenhouse gas emissions at home rather than through projects abroad. The Alliance Sud working group believes that trust in the global North is wavering. The restrictive attitude of industrialized countries with regard to financing is particularly unsettling for the poorest countries and small island states, whose existence is already threatened by the climate crisis. Rich countries such as Switzerland would thus continue to lose influence and credibility in the global South.
