“Climate commitments must persist”

The European Union, together with China, Canada “and other important partners” must take on a leadership role in international climate policy, after the US announced that it would pull out of the Paris Agreement, environment minister Barbara Hendricks told Dagmar Dehmer in an interview in Tagesspiegel. Hendricks said she has three wishes for the leaders’ communiqué of the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg: a clear commitment of the G20 to the Paris Agreement, a clear affirmation of the financial promises given by industrial nations and a clear commitment to implementing the individual national climate plans. This was not going to be easy for countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, said Hendricks.

For background, read the CLEW articles German reactions to US decision to withdraw from Paris Agreement and Germany, China urge US to remain in climate agreement.