Germany's foreign and energy ministers urged cooperation in the global energy transition on Tuesday among countries around the world to sustain peace and protect economic wealth for citizens.
"Climate change does not stop at borders nor does energy transition," Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said at the opening the 5th Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) where decision-makers, experts and high-level managers from more than 50 countries are gathering to discuss the progress of the global energy transition.
According to Maas, climate policy equates to security policy, and is a key topic for Germany and the United Nations Security Council.
He stressed that global challenges cannot be tackled single-handedly.
"Germany’s 40 percent of electricity production comes from renewables today, but much work still lies ahead," he said.
The German minister suggested that energy transition would provide opportunities for many developing countries to take a lead globally.
"The change is on the horizon, but to see that change we also have to change ourselves," he argued.
"This will require cooperation between governments, societies and industries. For many countries, Germany is a pioneer of energy transition, a role in which we will use more and more to speed up international progress,” Maas said.
Also speaking at the conference, Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier also agreed that for energy transition to be successful, it needs to be rolled out on a global basis to be successful.
"A holistic approach requires the energy shift to be successful in all sectors and the socio-economic elements to be taken into account throughout. Continuing international cooperation is indispensable here," Altmaier said.
"Let us jointly commit to multilateral cooperation and solidarity, and exchange experiences. Young people around the world dreamed of a future where they lived on a healthy planet and in wealth. We must not destroy the dream of our citizens," he added.
The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue is hosted and supported by the German Federal Government and is a joint initiative of the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), German Solar Association (BSW-Solar), the German Energy Agency (dena) and renewables consultancy eclareon.
Over 50 ministers and high-level delegations from over 90 countries, as well as representatives of industry and civil society, are attending the event.
Over the two days of the conference, they will assess the opportunities and challenges from the global shift to green energy. They will also discuss the geopolitical developments arising from energy transition, how it can be successful across all sectors, the role that digitalization plays in ensuring efficiency in the transition and how the resulting structural changes can be forged in a socially compatible way.
By Ebru Sengul and Bahattin Gonultas in Berlin
Anadolu Agency
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