Neubauer on climate conference - "In the best case, it will not be a total catastrophe"

Climate activist Luisa Neubauer expects little progress in the fight against global warming from the upcoming world climate summit in Egypt. "In the best case, it won't be a total catastrophe," said Neubauer to the "Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland" (RND). She expects a struggle between rich and poor countries at the conference in the seaside resort of Sharm el Sheikh.

The rich countries of the Global North, like Germany, would have to "prove at the COP that they are prepared to pay for climate damage in the poorest countries in the world," demanded Neubauer. At the same time, they must help ensure that investments on the African continent are not made in foreign, fossil-based mega-projects, but in comprehensive access to renewable energies.

The UN climate change conference COP27 starts on Sunday. Representatives from around 200 countries want to spend two weeks discussing, among other things, how global warming can be curbed. The World Climate Conference meets annually, always in a different country.

COP stands for "Conference of the Parties". This refers to those states that have signed the so-called Framework Convention on Climate Change. Around 30,000 people are expected in Egypt – not only government representatives, but also hundreds of journalists and dozens of representatives of climate protection organizations.

Neubauer recently announced on Twitter that he would be making a five-day journey by train and bus in order to fly as little as possible. Together with other activists, she drives from Berlin via Warsaw, Budapest, Belgrade and Sofia to Istanbul, from where she will fly the last leg.

The travel group comes from Germany, Poland and the Ukraine, so Neubauer. “With an Interrail ticket we can make quite good progress. At the same time, we constantly notice that we are moving in a transport system in which climate-friendly travel is expensive and time-consuming.”