An informal ministerial meeting brought together ministers and high-level representatives from over 30 countries and representatives of the EU, the UN, and other international organizations, as well as high-level stakeholders from civil society, the scientific community, the financial sector, and industry, to discuss key international climate policy issues in preparation for the 2026 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 31). Its main objective was to identify options for international cooperation to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
The 17th Petersberg Climate Dialogue convened in Berlin, Germany, from 21-22 April 2026. It was hosted by Germany’s Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider, with COP 31 President-designate Murat Kurum, Türkiye, and COP 31 President of Negotiations Chris Bowen, Australia.
The event served as a forum to build early political alliances and partnerships, showcase examples of successful transformation, and highlight the role ambitious climate policy can play in economic development and competitiveness.
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In a statement, Schneider called attention to the volatility of fossil energy markets and called for accelerated expansion of renewables – “for our security and for the climate.” He described the participants’ joint mission as “to close the gap in measures that still separates us from the 1.5-degree limit” by speeding up the phaseout of fossil fuels, tripling renewable energy capacity, and doubling energy efficiency. Citing the EU’s goal of becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050, Schneider said the economic transformation must not leave anyone behind.
In his opening address, Kurum called upon countries to “work together to bridge the gap between global needs and available resources” and to “shift to a concrete and solution-oriented implementation mode.”
In his remarks, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell highlighted climate cooperation as “key to fending off the twin-reapers of global heating and fossil fuel cost chaos.” He called for turning global commitments into projects on the ground and for “[e]levating the Action Agenda to share center-stage with negotiations, … [w]ith coalitions of the willing leading the way.”
In a video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres underscored the need to “respond to the energy crisis without deepening the climate crisis,” build the infrastructure that can deliver the energy transition, and mobilize finance at scale.
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue process was launched in 2010 by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Dialogues convene annually and are co-hosted by Germany and the country that takes over the chair of the next UN Climate Change Conference. UNFCCC COP 31 will take place from 9-20 November 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye. [Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2026] [Press Release by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety] [SDG Knowledge Hub Story on Türkiye’s Priorities for COP 31] [SDG Knowledge Hub Stories on Petersberg Climate Dialogue in 2025,2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2011, 2010]