• Germany edition
Photo: DPA

Germany to break climate aid promises

Published: 26 Jun 10 14:08 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100626-28121.html

Germany will not deliver the financial aid to help developing countries deal with climate change it promised at the Copenhagen climate summit last December, media reports say.

According to a report in news magazine Der Spiegel, cuts in Germany's environment and development budget mean that the money promised for 2011 and 2012 will not be made available.

A spokesman for the Development Ministry refused to comment on the report, since budget negotiations are still running in the department, but the magazine claims that pressure from Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has forced the promised payments to be cancelled, and that Chancellor Angela Merkel has approved the decision.

The German government originally planned to put €70 million per year for the next two years into development aid and the environment budget. This subsidy would have been created by turning loans to developing countries into aid.

Merkel vowed to deliver €1.26 billion in climate change aid by 2012 at last December's climate summit in Copenhagen. Merkel, Development Minister Dirk Niebel and Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen all promised that this would consist of additional funds in the budget.

But at the beginning of March it was announced that only €210 million of the aid would be new money, while the rest would be covered by other aid resources or included in earlier promises.

The Local (news@thelocal.de)

What do you think? Leave your comment below.

Fark It! Digg This  Share everywhere
Send to a friend Printable version Twitter This

Your comments about this article:

16:37 June 26, 2010 by Aasvogel
Economic realities trump the shallow boasting at Copenhagen but I happen to think it is no bad thing. AGW is a non-event. To throw taxpayers' money at it in the present circumstances would be unjustifiable.
20:17 June 26, 2010 by franconia
Good show, Wolfgang, we all know where all that money winds up once it leaves Germany. In the pockets of fat third world leaders.
23:43 June 26, 2010 by DinhoPilot
"Hope for the best, expect the worst..."

This is not a moto is a new way of life...
09:17 June 27, 2010 by ColoSlim
Probably for the better to pay later if/when it is a crisis. People have and always will face climate change because it has never been static. If the world's climate was always the same, we would not be here today. Let climate change happen and find ways to adapt because you cannot over-come or control the climate. Assuming otherwise is totally arrogant.
10:31 June 27, 2010 by JohnnesKönig
It's a big hoax to steal! Look at Al Gore. He said the Oceans will rise yet buys an expensive house on the coast in California!

But the bigger issue is that when you need to make budget cuts, take care of your own people first!
16:08 June 27, 2010 by Eastard
Could Germany possibly send some leadership to the USA.....? Merkel has more gonads than Obama... He wants to giver everyone a piece of someone elses pie... Germany should take care if itself lest it become one in need.. Has anyone looked back at what Merkel did during the Greece crisis and given her credit for knowing what was really getting ready to happen... Germany could have been the co-signer of all Greek debt versus one of many...
22:58 June 27, 2010 by phryingphish
And this is any different than Keyoto? Where, again all the signatories hemmed and hawed, blamed the U.S. for not signing, then did nothing. But they already know that they will do nothing, just blame the U.S. until the U.S. puts up the lions share of the money and nothing gets done anyway. Except a bunch of fat cats in the third world fill their Bank accounts. And Algore sells "carbon credits" in the biggest scam since Bernie Madoff's $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme.
04:45 June 28, 2010 by rosks304
Playing you said it all,Al Gore is catching up to Warren Buffet and Bill Gates's wealth and the 3rd world's leaders are very jealous that their personal bank a/c 's balances are not imploding.smarock10@yahoo.com
23:53 June 28, 2010 by Prufrock2010
I didn't realize Al Gore was still part of the US government. I must have been asleep when he was re-elected.

Oh, well. Ignore climate change at your peril. Let your industries keep on spewing carbon emissions. Your children and grandchildren don't matter anyway. To hell with this planet and all who might someday inhabit it.
21:08 June 29, 2010 by wxman
All anthropogenic global warming proponents around the world can demonstrate their collective commitment to the planet by ceasing all exhalation immediately and permenantly. If you are truly commited to a cause, no sacrifice is too great.
09:57 July 1, 2010 by lschalatek
Cutting this sum does constitute only a laughably insignificant saving of less than 0.022 percent of Germany's projected 2011 budget of €321 billion. However, this decision -- if not reversed -- will cost Germany dearly. I never thought that Germany's role as one of the fore-thinkers and country leaders in international climate policy could be worth so little in the minds of its reigning politicians, and thus could be bought off so cheaply. See also on this: http://climatequity.org/2010/06/30/germanys-international-climate-budget-zeros-out/ .
ADD YOUR COMMENT   (YOU MUST LOG IN OR REGISTER TO MAKE A COMMENT)
Today's headlines
Demonstration against the Syrian regime in Berlin. Photo: DPA

Syrian spy suspects arrested in Berlin

German police arrested two men in Berlin Tuesday accused of spying on opponents of the Syrian regime in raids involving some 70 officers, federal prosecutors said. READ »

Photo: DPA

Lost ancient artefacts found after 50 years

Nearly 50 ancient artefacts have been returned to the Bode Museum, Berlin, decades after being looted by Soviet soldiers. The find has sparked hope that more objects lost during the war will turn up. READ (2 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Frozen kraut jam leaves autobahn drivers sauer

An accident involving two trucks, a car and a large quantity of sauerkraut caused a 10-kilometre traffic jam on the A5 motorway in the German state of Hesse on Tuesday morning after the German delicacy froze solid on the road. READ (5 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Sex helps 'keep you young' in old age

Staying sexually active in old age keeps your brain ticking, according to a recent study in which 70 percent of those Germans over 75 said they were happy with their antics between the sheets. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Hoeneß: Bayern saved Dortmund with €2 mln

With Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich battling it out for top spot in the German league title race, Bayern's Uli Hoeneß has revealed they loaned Dortmund €2 million to help save their rivals from bankruptcy. READ »

Photo: DPA

Virus lays low thousands of farm animals

Thousands of cows, sheep and goats have been infected with a flu-like virus across Germany, with the number of infected herds increasing sharply over the weekend. READ (8 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Germans jailed in UK for owning terrorist material

Two German men were jailed in Britain on Monday after pleading guilty to possessing articles from an al-Qaida magazine. READ (17 COMMENTS) »

Photo: DPA

Wulff case 'a chance to open up German politics'

As President Christian Wulff remains mired in allegations of impropriety, anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) has called for politicians to use the case as a chance to open up German politics. READ »

More National
Highlights
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
The economy in shambles, angry street protests and the government on the brink after passing unpopular reforms. But this is not Greece in 2012 – it was Germany a decade ago. Marc Young looks back to see an agenda for the future.
Photo: DPA
OPINION »
Germany’s public transportation largely operates on the honour system, which makes fare dodging easy. You can have your say on how Germany should deal with the problem.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
Macho German football legend Rudi Assauer says he has Alzheimer’s Disease, an admission one expert told The Local could help stoke discussion of an illness often considered taboo.
Photo: DPA
SOCIETY »
A 64-year-old tub of American lard has been deemed fit for human consumption by food safety authorities in the eastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Photo: Yves Gabriel
LIFESTYLE »
What's on in Germany: February 2 - 8
Photo: Columbia Pictures
LIFESTYLE »
The Local's English-language movie listings for Germany
Photo: DPA
LIFESTYLE »
As Hamburg’s legendary Reeperbahn strip gentrifies, Stephen Lowman reports how the city’s “sinful mile” is changing.
Photo: Bavarian International School
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A global education - a Bavarian community
Photo ECLA
SPONSORED ARTICLE
A truly international education at the heart of Berlin



See all ads | Join the Marketplace

Jobs in Germany, in English

1073 jobs available
681 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today

ALL JOBS »

Blog
Essentials

Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your style? Find a German sweetheart here.

Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather section.

Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.

Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of charge.

Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.

Search News


Register

Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss

REGISTER FOR FREE »

News from the Goethe-Institut
News from Young Germany
News from DeutschlandOnline

Toytown Germany
Germany's English-speaking crowd
English-speaking educators (native level)

Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!