The 16th Petersberg Climate Dialogue (PCD) takes place on 25-26 March in Berlin. Bringing together Ministers from approximately 40 countries, this year’s PCD will strongly emphasise financing, accelerating action towards the Paris Agreement goals and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), implementing the Global Stocktake, adaptation, and climate governance.
The PCD will start the steady drumbeat of international climate diplomacy for 2025. It will be the first time Ministers have gathered since COP29 in an official capacity to discuss climate action. As co-hosts, this is an early opportunity for the Brazilian COP30 team to advance their thinking and build common expectations on their vision for their Presidency and enable progressive Governments to lean in to support Brazil. As a traditionally engaged global climate leader, PCD host and currently with a caretaker Government in place, the spotlight will also be on Germany to show continued climate leadership.
PCD must build confidence and set expectations
2025 marks a decisive year in climate action — it is the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the deadline for submitting the next round of NDCs and emissions must peak to keep 1.5°C within reach. Yet, it has begun with geopolitical turbulence and widespread Official Development Aid (ODA) cuts. To ensure COP30 reinvigorates ambition and kickstarts a decade of climate action, PCD should focus on:
NDCs: NDCs are the cornerstone of global climate action and yet, NDC submissions are lagging and NDC diplomacy is in urgent need of a boost. PCD must raise pressure on countries to set ambitious 2035 targets ahead of the September cut-off for inclusion in the UNFCCC’s next NDC Synthesis Report. PCD must also consider the process in Belem for addressing the likely ambition gap and what science says is required to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C.
Building confidence and delivering international climate finance: in the context of the cancellation of US climate financing and ODA cuts by many European donors, it will be vital that PCD begins to provide confidence in the future of climate finance, including assurance on international support. Building an effective coalition of the willing, providing reassurance on public finance post-2025, as well as considering how to include prospective new contributors will be critical for catalysing larger scale public and private finance – working with climate funds, MDBs, IFIs and the private sector. PCD is an early opportunity for a collective discussion on the vision for the Baku to Belém Roadmap, and to explore a forward UNFCCC process to put positive pressure on overall finance flows and increase transparency and accountability.
Implementing the Global Stocktake (including energy): a litmus test for climate multilateralism will be implementing the GST outcomes. PCD can harness the coalition in favour of fossil fuel phaseout and set the expectations for productive discussions on the GST implementation at the UNFCCC sessions in Bonn and at COP30, which recognise, reinvigorate and bring coherence to the existing declarations on the energy transition. PCD is an opportunity to demonstrate how the Action Agenda is delivering existing commitments and building momentum outside of the UNFCCC, as well as capturing the contribution of the Action Agenda to the Paris goals.
Making adaptation a priority: the COP30 Presidency described 2025 as “a landmark for climate adaptation and the delivery of National Adaptation Plans (NAPS)”. PCD can set clear expectations about the importance of scaling adaptation finance, highlight the importance of operationalising the Global Goal on Adaptation, reinforce attention to NAPs and mobilize the Action Agenda to create a multi stakeholder platform to boost partnerships and build across the board support for achieving adaptation goals.
Showing the international climate regime can deliver real progress and reform: The COP30 Presidency has set out its strong commitment to multilateralism and regime evolution to adapt to current and future circumstances, including creating an advisory Circle of Presidencies from COP21-29, a Circle of Indigenous Leadership and undertaking a Global Ethical Stocktake and involvement of Non-State Actors. PCD is an opportunity to outline what that means practically and gauge appetite for greater reform as the UNFCCC moves its focus from negotiations to implementation.
Maintaining momentum
With just eight months to go until COP30, PCD can kickstart the early and deep coordination needed within the UNFCCC framework and the wider ecosystem to set clear goals, develop bold partnerships, and progress tangible outcomes to make Brazil’s vision for COP30 a reality. The COP President has asked the world to join a global “mutirão” (collective action) against climate change. The PCD can use its platform to demonstrate that key Parties to the Paris Agreement have heard this call.
