European leaders call for ambition ahead of climate conference

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is among several European heads of state who signed a declaration calling for more ambitious climate action ahead of the COP24 UN climate change conference to be held in Katowice, Poland, on 3-14 December. Led by Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, the leaders urge all parties to the Paris Agreement to revisit their nationally determined contributions (NDC) in light of the findings of the IPCC Special Report, “with a view to updating their respective NDCs by 2020 and thereby raising global ambition to meet the climate challenge.”

Find the press release in German and the declaration in English here.

For background, read the CLEW articles Poland's Katowice COP: Next coal country hosting UN climate talks, and Finishing Paris Agreement rulebook at COP24 in Katowice “feasible” – German negotiator.