Germany to further expand cooperation on climate and energy with Chile and Uruguay

Germany has signed agreements to intensify its cooperation on climate and energy with Chile and Uruguay, with strong focus on decarbonising emission-intensive industry. At the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, a high-level conference in the German capital, economy and climate minister Robert Habeck signed a memorandum of understanding with his Chilean counterpart, Diego Pardow, to establish a task force to cooperate together towards a climate neutral industry. The group is set to develop recommendations for linking energy, water use and climate protection, “including the use of carbon pricing instruments and the emissions trading system, as well as modelling the impact of climate change on long-term energy planning,” the energy ministry (BMWK) wrote in a press release. Additionally, Chile is to co-chair and further develop the climate club, a forum initiated by Germany at the G7 with industry decarbonisation as a key aim. With Uruguay, the partnership will see stronger cooperation and knowledge exchange in the fields of energy efficiency, the ramp-up of the hydrogen economy, the expansion of the grid and recycling, as well as vocational training for skilled workers in the renewable energy sector.

Germany is working to diversify its import partners and reduce dependencies, especially in the energy and raw materials sectors. South America — rich in materials such as iron, steel, copper and lithium with great potential for electricity generation from wind and solar energy — is an attractive location for partnerships. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Argentina, Chile and Brazil at the end of January, and Habeck travelled to Brazil and Colombia in March to strengthen cooperation ties.