Geneva, Nov. 27, (dpa/GNA) – Petteri Taalas, head of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said countries such as China and India can be persuaded to move away from fossil fuels more quickly with import taxes and other pressure.
Taalas spoke out in favour of showing the fossil footprint on climate-damaging products in the future – similar to food products, which currently show the nutrient content – i.e. how much energy from oil, gas and coal has gone into production.
“One question is whether European countries cannot exert trade pressure on these countries,” Taalas told dpa ahead of the COP28 world climate conference in Dubai. The meeting of around 200 countries begins on Thursday.
Taalas said that this could be achieved partly through import taxes. Consumer campaigns against products manufactured using coal are also possible. “Countries should consider putting that kind of pressure on,” he said.
Germany and the EU have reduced their emissions more than any other region of the world, said Taalas. Countries in the G7 group, including the US and Canada, were also making good progress.
Their task at the World Climate Conference is to once again set a good example and announce even stricter climate protection measures and potentially get other G20 countries on board.
“The the remaining part of the G20 are responsible for half the world’s emissions. China could be a big game changer,” said Taalas. He also mentioned India and Brazil. They are also severely affected by the consequences of climate change and have good reasons themselves to campaign for climate protection.
Taalas said he hoped that China would accelerate its transition to climate-neutral development so that its emissions peak before 2030 and the country becomes climate-neutral by 2050 instead of 2060.
Climate neutral means that a country does not produce more greenhouse gases than carbon sinks – such as soils, forests and oceans – can absorb.
GNA