German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Saturday (November 23) that Berlin will not accept a deal at COP29 at the expense of countries that are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, Reuters reports.
In a statement to reporters on the sidelines of COP29, Baerbock said “the new few rich fossil fuel emitters” have the backing of the COP presidency, which is currently held by the host country, Azerbaijan.
The COP presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Baerbock’s statement.
The European Union, U.S. and other wealthy countries at the COP29 summit have agreed to raise their offer to $300 billion per year by 2035 to help developing nations deal with climate change, sources told Reuters on Saturday, after a previous proposal was dismissed as insultingly low.
Separately, John Podesta, climate envoy for the United States, said "the forces of ambition are making their voices heard" and that work would continue until there is an outcome.
Wopke Hoekstra, the EU commisioner for climate action, said they were working to build bridges but added that success was not certain.
