Petersberg Climate Dialogue 2023
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) is an annual high-level political and international forum that took place from 02-03 May 2023 ahead of the annual United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP). The PCD series was co-hosted in Berlin by the German Federal Foreign Office and the United Arab Emirates – the incoming COP28-Presidency. Delegates from 40 countries attended this year’s dialogue series. UN Secretary-General António Guterres took part via video message.
The central goal of the dialogue series, which was held for the 14th time this year, is to strengthen trust both in multilateral climate negotiations and between states. The PCD aims at strengthening strategic dialogue on just energy transition, global transformation and responses to climate impacts. The focus this year included topics such as climate adaptation, climate finance and dealing with loss and damage, but in particular the first-ever global stock take.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasized his intention to listen – to listen to the challenges many face regarding the realities of the climate crisis. "We are at a crossroad. We are presented with an opportunity of a generation. The opportunity to course-correct. The question is whether we will take it or not. We must bring a new implementation mindset to the global stock take. This stock take is our opportunity to look at where we have gotten thus far and design a way forward which approaches the task differently.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking virtually to the conference, demanded honesty when facing the climate crisis: “We must be upfront about what this requires: It requires cooperation – rising above geopolitical divisions; Climate justice – developed countries and international financial institutions delivering on long-overdue finance; And cleaning up our economies – breaking our fossil fuel addiction, and driving decarbonization in every sector.”
The high-level dialogue will be closed this afternoon by COP28 President-Designate Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber of the United Arab Emirates and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The next Climate Change Conference COP28 will take place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from 30 November to 12 December 2023.