Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is skeptical about the chances of success for the forthcoming climate conference in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. The world is entering a new period of conflict, if not confrontation, Steinmeier said at a climate policy discussion in the South Korean city of Busan on Saturday. "It is difficult to imagine that in times of conflict and even military confrontation, states like Russia or China will play a constructive role in and after Sharm el-Sheikh."

"Progress is absolutely necessary, even if the conditions for this are not very encouraging," said Steinmeier. Deserts are spreading more and more in Africa, Europe is losing the last glaciers in the Alps and the number of extreme weather events is also increasing in Germany. Steinmeier referred to the flood disaster on the Ahr last year and drew the conclusion: "We have to accelerate our path to climate neutrality."

Triple challenge

However, the transformation of the entire economy is not easy at a time when Germany is spending a lot of money to maintain stability in Europe, to support Ukraine with weapons and to increase the defense budget. "This is the same money we need to fight climate change," Steinmeier said. Busan was the last stop on his trip to South Korea on Saturday.

Germany had to meet a triple challenge, Steinmeier later said on the sidelines of a tour of the Busan container port. "First and foremost, we have to get people safely and well through next winter. Secondly, after Russia's attack on Ukraine and the suffering and destruction that was caused there, we have to stand by Ukraine and carry them on support."

But climate change is not taking a break. "And that's why we have to succeed, and that's a triple challenge, to keep up the momentum in the fight against climate change," said Steinmeier.