COP28 deal – Reactions from Germany and Europe

Annalena Baerbock, German foreign minister

“This climate conference seals the end of the fossil fuel era,” said German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock in Dubai. “Anyone who can do the maths knows that investments in fossil fuels are not profitable in the long term.” She added that the outcome of the conference is “historic” not just as a progress on climate action, “but also a sign of hope in these hard geopolitical times that multilateralism still works, if we are willing to come out of our comfort zones.”

Jennifer Morgan, German state secretary and special envoy for international climate action

“Today at COP28, world adopted historic decision that is strongly guided by 1.5 C limit,” Morgan said on X. “There is an unmistakable signal that future is renewables & not fossil fuels. For 1st time, countries made decision to transition away from FF, accelerating action in this critical decade. In one year, working in collaboration with the most vulnerable countries, we together created a loss and damage fund and capitalized it so it can get up and running and support those suffering from climate impacts. Today, we showed that multilateralism delivers. Tomorrow, we drive these decisions forward. We must be fast. We must be deliberate, with ambition and solidarity for climate justice.”

European climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra

Today is "a day to salute the fact that humanity has finally done what is long, long, long overdue. 30 years we've spent to arrive at the beginning of the end of fossil fuels. And to bridge our ambition on adaptation, finance, and mitigation. To get concrete and actionable on 1.5C as scientists have urged us to do for so long."

Robert Habeck, German economy and climate minister

“The path to a climate-friendly future has finally been paved. At COP28, the international community committed itself for the first time to moving away from all fossil fuels and to a massive expansion of wind and solar energy, especially by 2030. This is a clear signal to companies, markets and investors: the energy of the future is renewable and will be used efficiently.”

“COP28 shows that the Paris Agreement is gaining momentum and that there is a great willingness to change among countries, companies and all other stakeholders. Now is the time to seize this moment and realise the great opportunities for transformation.”

Dirk Messner, head of Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA)

“For the first time, the world climate negotiations agree to abandon all fossil fuels and reaffirm the goal of becoming climate-neutral on a global scale by the middle of the century. This means that the international community is finally recognising what science has long been calling for. The fossil fuel era must come to an end in order to prevent dangerous climate change, safeguard our prosperity and preserve the prospects of future generations,” Messner said on X.

German development minister Svenja Schulze

“The world urgently needed such a signal of unity in these difficult times. This conference has succeeded in rebuilding trust between Europe and the developing countries,” Schulze said in a press release. “The good start with the rapid agreement on the new fund for dealing with climate damage has contributed to this.” The transition away from fossil fuels “is a process that needs to be shaped in a socially just way. This is precisely what we will now work on together with all our strength. One thing must be clear: This transition cannot be put on the back burner, but must be completed for the most part in this decade and the next. Another important outcome of the conference is the first-ever agreement on a comprehensive framework for adapting to climate change.”

German environment minister Steffi Lemke

“We have initiated the phase-out of fossil fuels and the entry into the renewable era. At the same time, the decision shows that we can only achieve the necessary reduction in emissions and adaptation to the climate crisis with an intact natural environment. For the first time, we have agreed in a final declaration to halt deforestation by 2030, to prioritise the protection of ecosystems on land and in the oceans and to stabilise water cycles - and all of this is closely linked to the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.”

“The concrete implementation in Germany and worldwide remains the central task for us. We have the solutions. I will now do everything in my power to ensure that we get them off the ground quickly.”

Bas Eickhout, member of the European Parliament

“The overall message coming out of this is quite positive and pretty close to what the EU had in its mandate.” However, the success of COP28 would be measured by how countries implement the results. The EU would be one of the first to decide a target for 2040, with the Commission to present a proposal by early 2024. “Europe is obliged to show how we are going to draft our 2040 target without fossils in the energy system,” said Eickhout. “If the world needs to be at zero in 2050, we need to be at zero in 2040.”

Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s minister for global climate policy

“There is no doubt – if you look at the European Union’s key messages going in – that we should be very happy,” said Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s minister for global climate policy. “If you were to point out one item on which the EU made a huge difference, it is on the targets for renewable energy and efficiency. No doubt that was on the table because of the European Union and we succeeded to get it through.” Still, the result is not a perfect text, Jørgensen told Clean Energy Wire. “The EU is also on the side of the developing world and especially the small island states that are hit the hardest by climate change. We could have done more for them.”

“This is a very good point of departure for future EU targets. We now have a signal that will probably also be reflected in the markets. We will now compete on who can make this transition the fastest.”

Holger Lösch, deputy managing director at industry association BDI

The outcome of COP28 is “an important signal for companies that are on the transformation path to climate neutrality and are aligning their investments and planning accordingly,” said Holger Lösch, deputy managing director at industry association BDI. All countries now had to step up their climate action efforts. “This is also important for improving the competitive conditions for German industry vis-à-vis its international competitors.”