Ministers around the world will discuss how to keep climate change targets on track as they meet in Berlin on Thursday for talks amid the spiral of energy costs and war-fueled fuel supply concerns.
The Ministers of Energy, Climate and Environment of the Group of Seven (G7) countries want to reaffirm their commitment to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and protect biodiversity at the May 25-27 meeting.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a struggle between some countries to buy more non-Russian fossil fuels and burn coal to reduce its dependence on Russian supplies, raising fears that the war-torn energy crisis could undermine efforts to combat climate change.
Activists urged G7 ministers to make clear commitments so that the consequences of the Ukrainian war do not derail their goals.
“We now have a new reality. The G7 must respond to this, and they should respond through renewable energy, not through fossil fuel infrastructure,” said David Ryfisch, a climate policy expert at the G7. Germanwatch non-profit organization.