Ms Merkel, Do not go back on your goals for climate protection!

In the face of the increasing speed of the change of climate the Climate Alliance is calling for the passing of a rigorous climate programme.

On the occasion of the passing of the synthesis report of the UN body of climate experts IPCC the Climate Alliance is calling on the Chancellor to pass an ambitious climate programme on the 5th December in the federal cabinet and thus to send an important signal to the UN Climate Conference which begins in a few weeks in Bali.

Kertin Veigt of the Society for Threatened Peoples reminds the Chancellor that just a few weeks ago she publicly experienced the climate change physically in the Arctic. "Nowhere else is the climate change taking place so quickly as in Siberia and Alaska”, said Veigt. "The indigenous peoples of the Arctic are affected in two ways. They have to look for opportunities to adjust to the rapid changes. At the same time governments and energy companies are using the melting of the ice to accelerate the mining of oil and gas.” So saving oil and gas imports by an ambitious climate policy is an important contribution to the maintenance of the means of existence of the indigenous peoples.

Hubert Weinzierl, president of the Deutscher Naturschutzring (German association for the protection of nature): "The Bundeskanzler has publicly recognized that the German greenhouse emissions must be reduced by 40% by 2020 (as against 1990). Only if this proviso is implemented in corresponding policies can the German government appear in Bali with the necessary credibility. "If the federal cabinet intends to pass the climate and energy programme by the beginning of December then it requires the signature of a chancellor who really stands firmly behind the climate policy”, said Weinzierl in the name of the climate alliance. It is important to put Glos and Tiefensee in their places because they are the ministers who are blocking the path. In the light of the present discussions within the coalition Weinzierl pointed out that the emissions in Germany must drop very much more and by at least 80% by the middle of the century.

It is vital that clear political signals be given now for this long-term aim.

Dr Jürgen Thiesbonenkamp, chair of the executive committee of the Kindernothilfe (a relief organisation for children in need): "The developing countries expect that the road to a model of an affluent society with little in the way of emissions on the part of the industrial countries is not just empty talk”, said Thiesbonenkamp. To ensure this it is necessary that concrete and adequate laws be implemented both at the EU level and in Germany. "The struggle against global warming requires pioneers to lead the way in putting out the fire.” At the same time he urged that those most affected by the climate change should not be forgotten. "The fight against poverty and the support of measures for dealing with the negative consequences in developing countries must be rigorously extended”, said Thiesbonenkamp. He welcomed the announcement of the federal minister for the environment to use funds from the auction of certificates in the emissions-trade for the adjustments needed in developing countries.

For further information please approach:

Damian Ludewig, DNR: 0160 93881550, damian.ludewig@web.de

Petra Stephan, Kindernothilfe: 0178-1707323, Petra.Stephan@knh.de

Kerstin Veigt, Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker, 0551/49906-23,

k.veigt@gfbv.de

Christina Hering, Die Klima-Allianz, 030/ 443391-83, hering@forumue.de

The Klima-Allianz invites you to join the Climate Campaign Day on 8th December in Berlin and in Neurath (Düsseldorf)!

The complete policy paper of the Climate Alliance can be found at:

www.die-klima-allianz.de/position.php

The Climate Alliance is a fast-growing broad alliance of more than 80 organisations, among them being:

Environment organisations like Greenpeace, BUND, WWF, NABU, DNR, DUH, Grüne Liga; development organisations like Misereor (Catholic relief organisation), Brot für die Welt (Protestant relief organisation), EED, Diakonie, Katastrophenhilfe, Germanwatch, Kindernothilfe; - Protestant churches like the Evangelische Kirche von Westfalen, Kurhessen-Waldeck, Württemberg and die Vereinte Evangelische Mission (United Protestant Mission); - Youth organisations like the KLJB, the BUNDjugend, the BDKJ and the NAJU; Consumer organisations like the Bund der Energieverbraucher and the Bundesverband der Verbraucherinitiativen; other associations like UnternehmensGrün (an organisation of "green" entrepreneurs and independent traders), Deutscher Alpenverein, Deutscher Tierschutzbund (society for the prevention of cruelty to animals), the Society for Threatened Peoples and Attac.