Implementing the Paris climate agreement: Is the direction right?
The thematic background for the symposium on the Paris Climate Agreement was and is the fact that climate change represents one of the four planetary boundaries that have already been exceeded. The event ” Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement: Is the Direction Right?” on the eve of the Environmental Award Ceremony in W眉rzburg with last year’s two Environmental Award winners Mojib Latif and Johan Rockstr枚m yielded the following important results from the DBU’s point of view:
Natural sciences leave no doubt
- The findings from the natural sciences leave no doubt: climate change has long been a reality and is not something that will only happen in the future.
- The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 and entered into force on Nov. 4, 2016. This is to be considered a great success. The agreement sets a binding framework to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality and global climate stabilization in the second half of the century. The average earth temperature is to be kept below 2 掳C above pre-industrial levels.
- The direction is right with this, but the implementation is too slow. It is important to be clear: Climate protection is a matter of public interest.
- All sectors need to rethink and move: Business, society and politics. Among other things, the state must be a signal giver through regulatory law and it must promote activities from civil society.
- Furthermore,CO2 sinks are needed in which the carbon dioxide can be bound. Bogs, forests and wooden buildings are important in this context. CO2 must also be regarded as a raw material and managed in a cycle. Further innovations are required for this.
The recording of the event is available
Prof. Dr. Johan Rockstr枚m
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Prof. Dr. Torsten Henzelmann
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Discussion
In the discussion, the topic of “Great Transformation,” which had been mentioned several times in the presentations, was taken up again and explored in greater depth. Consensus was reached on the formulation that a transformation plan would be much more needed than a climate change plan. Cities and municipalities played a central role in this transformation plan. Besides Mojib Latif and Johan Rockstr枚m participated in the final round:
- Sabine Nallinger, Executive Director of the 2掳 Foundation – German Entrepreneurs for Climate Protection
- Martin K枚ppel, Project Manager Dialogue Forum Renewable Energies and Nature Conservation, BUND Landesverband Baden-W眉rttemberg
- Monika Kratzer, Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment and Consumer Protection, Head of Department Climate Protection, Technical Environmental Protection and Recycling Management
Video discussion you can
Science Slam
In addition, four DBU scholarship holders presented the contents of their dissertations in an entertaining way as part of a “Science Slam”:
- Dr. Ulrich Schaper (Youtube video),
- Daphne Freudiger (Youtube video ),
- Dr. Borbala Katalina Galos (Youtube video ) and
- Jan Beermann (Youtube video ).
The symposium was skillfully and prudently moderated by Volker Angres (ZDF).
Summary Dr. Bottermann
According to the DBU Secretary General, the Paris Agreement was viewed positively.
The coal phase-out is necessary immediately in view of the climate data known to all, Bottermann said.
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