4 May 2010: Germany and Mexico jointly hosted the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Germany, from 2-4 May 2010, with a view to developing, in an informal framework, a political position in time for the next round of formal negotiations under the UNFCCC.
The Dialogue was jointly opened by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mexican President Felipe Calderón. Environment and climate ministers from 43 countries discussed concrete steps to reach an ambitious outcome at the next session of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, in Cancún, Mexico, and the role of the Copenhagen Accord in achieving this. Working groups addressed different issues, including: mitigation, reporting, adaptation, carbon market, financing, technology and reducing emissions from deforestation.
Participants agreed that: combating climate change remains an urgent challenge; swift, joint action by the international community is indispensable; and concrete implementation of climate protection measures should occur in parallel to the UN negotiations. The environment ministers further agreed on prioritizing in further UN negotiations: reducing greenhouse gas emissions in developed and newly industrializing countries; setting up an international system for monitoring mitigation activities; supporting adaptation measures in developing countries; and financing international climate protection.
During the meeting, Germany, South Africa and the Republic of Korea launched an initiative to support developing countries in elaborating environment- and climate-friendly growth strategies, subject to transparent, measurable and comprehensible implementation. [2 May press release] [4 May press release]