UN climate conference: Germany is participating in the pact for lower

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Landing of an airplane at Schönefeld Airport in Berlin

Photo: Jochen Eckel / IMAGO

Germany is once again the latecomer at the climate conference in Glasgow.

As with the pact to end the financing of fossil fuels, the Federal Republic was initially absent from an alliance for climate-friendly air transport that was decided on Wednesday.

The federal government later joined in both cases.

The Federal Ministry of Transport gave the go-ahead on Wednesday evening.

"Germany welcomes the initiative and declaration for the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition," it said.

According to information from the German Press Agency, the delay can be explained because the executive federal government still saw a need for coordination at EU level.

A spokesman for the ministry said that membership will be made up for within the usual deadlines.

When exactly that will be, it is still unclear.

So far, 14 countries have made this declaration to reduce their climate-damaging emissions in aviation so that climate neutrality can be achieved by 2050.

The alliance's statement states that the number of air passengers is expected to increase significantly over the next 30 years.

The signatories include the US, UK, France, Spain and Turkey.

The alliance also wants to focus on more climate-friendly fuels, further details were initially not known.

According to the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry, global CO2 emissions from air traffic currently account for around 2.8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

Germany also joined the alliance to end the financing of fossil fuels with a delay. After 25 states had decided last week to end the financial support, the German delegation did not join them until Tuesday. Accordingly, no more loans or subsidies may be granted to coal, oil or gas projects. In exceptional cases, however, it should be possible to continue investing in gas infrastructure in Germany, said Environment Secretary Jochen Flasbarth.

On the way to the zero emissions target, the Federal Republic of Germany agreed on Wednesday to reduce emissions in shipping - together with almost 20 other states.

In the Clydebank Declaration, named after the Glasgow River Clyde, the countries pledge to establish at least six zero-emission shipping routes between different ports by the middle of the decade.

Many more are to be added by 2030.

In addition to Germany and host Great Britain, the signatories include the USA, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries.

For the so-called green shipping corridors, partnerships are to be concluded between the respective ports as well as shipping companies and other parties involved in order to decarbonise the entire retail chain.

On Thursday the COP26 is all about the cities.

It's about improving climate protection in urban areas.

A statement from the British government as the host of the mammoth meeting is expected.

The executive minister of the environment, Svenja Schulze (SPD), is due to arrive in Glasgow for the first time around noon.

The SPD politician had stayed in Berlin since the beginning of the COP26 because of the intensive negotiations on a traffic light coalition in the federal government.

The planned end of the climate conference is on Friday, but an extension has been common in recent years.

The first fully formulated draft for the final declaration was published on Wednesday, and work is now being continued on it.

joe / dpa