Too younger to not say something | EUROtoday

Eigentlich studiert Annika Sauer in Heidelberg Psychologie, das Wintersemester läuft. Aber der 21 Jahre alten Frau und ihrer Generation läuft eben auch die Zeit davon, das Weltklima noch zu stabilisieren. Also ist sie zur Weltklimakonferenz nach Baku gereist, um mitzureden. Sie hat sich genau vorbereitet, sich mit anderen Aktivisten vernetzt, mit Fachleuten ausgetauscht, sich über Aserbaidschans Konflikt mit Armenien informiert, und über das Pariser Klimaabkommen. Als Vertreterin der Naturschutzjugend will sie sich im Sinn der Kinder und Jugend­lichen einsetzen, die ja nicht alle nach Baku reisen konnten, um die Verhandler zu mahnen, dass das, was sie hier beschließen, darüber entscheidet, „wie es mit der Welt weitergeht“.

Etwa 20.000 Verhandler fast aller Staaten der Welt sind angereist. In Baku an­gemeldet haben sich aber noch 50.000 Menschen mehr, darunter Unterstützer der Verhandler, Journalisten, vor allem aber auch Fachleute, Lobbyisten und Aktivisten – wer davon was ist, ist Ansichtssache. Mindestens 1773 Lobbyisten von Kohle-, Öl- und Gasfirmen sollen da sein. Zumindest hat das ein Zusammenschluss verschiedener Nichtregierungsorganisationen ausgerechnet, die fordern, „die Verschmutzer rauszuschmeißen“.

In einem offenen Brief forderten vor einigen Tagen unter anderem der frühere UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon und die Pariser Klimaverhandlerin Chris­tiana Figueres eine Reform der Konferenzen. Auch sie kritisierten die Anwesenheit von vielen fossilen Lobbyisten, die zu einer „unausgewogenen Repräsentation“ führe. Dabei sind es nicht die reinen Zahlen, die für eine Dominanz der fossilen Akteure auf Klimakonferenzen sprechen. Eher schon dass es ein Professionalitätsgefälle gibt zwischen Leuten, deren Beruf es seit Jahrzehnten ist, Emissionssenkungen abzuwehren oder zu bremsen, und Leuten wie Annika Sauer, die genau das fordern.

“I had never spoken to politicians before the conference, not even to a mayor,” she says. Sure, she ready. Meticulously, even months earlier than it began in Azerbaijan. On the night of the primary day of the convention in Baku, she stated sentences like these in an interview with the FAZ: “It is reassuring that Article 6 will not be pushed through today. If you give it away, a lever is missing from the NCQG.” Her drawback will not be that she is poorly ready. Her drawback is that she would not know precisely which of the tens of 1000’s of others at this convention her arguments can have essentially the most affect on.

Should she strive to participate within the negotiations, even perhaps say one thing? Should she display with different activists? Should she guess every thing on talks with politicians? Probably every thing a bit. We’ll see what it brings.

One one who ready Sauer and her two different colleagues from the youth conservation neighborhood for the World Climate Conference is Raimund Schwarze. The environmental economist has been touring to local weather conferences for years – and is watching them with rising skepticism. In Dubai a 12 months in the past, he declared that he not believed in multilateral local weather negotiations. The method the conferences are organized, it’s too straightforward to dam them. Anyone who locations nice hope within the negotiations 12 months after 12 months is naive, stated Schwarze on the time. As a consequence, he truly did not wish to participate anymore.

The indisputable fact that he did it once more was additionally due to Sauer. Black wished to help the activist throughout the convention, we’re in fixed contact by way of Raimund and Annika. He has already obtained 78 inquiries by way of messenger that day. He likes that she and the others from the character conservation youth group suppose so pragmatically about local weather safety. “This is a different generation than Greta Thunberg,” he says. The activists would examine the negotiating texts very rigorously, contemplate their place after which strategy the negotiators with it. “That has an effect,” says Schwarze. The negotiations themselves couldn’t significantly affect the activists, however they might not less than affect the negotiators.

And Sauer will get nearer to the negotiators because the convention progresses. After a couple of days, she managed to be certainly one of about ten German activists allowed to attend a gathering with the German negotiator Jennifer Morgan. Sauer is considering what she ought to say to the State Secretary within the Foreign Office, who, Sauer in fact is aware of, was beforehand a local weather activist herself for many years, most just lately at Greenpeace International. What must you inform somebody like that about lowering emissions at their first local weather convention?

In any case, the 14-hour days on the convention are slowly taking their toll. Everything is “super tiring,” but additionally tremendous attention-grabbing, says Sauer. She has now set herself a brand new aim for her time on the local weather convention: “I don’t want to understand the technical details of the negotiations, but rather get an overview.” She realized that this made extra sense when she began the negotiations on the foundations for the local weather convention wished to pursue buying and selling in emissions certificates. Sauer solely discovered a seat within the subsequent room of the listening to room. The transmission was obscure and there have been repeated interruptions. Plus the typically robust English accents. Ultimately wasted time.

On Friday, Sauer will strive a very totally different type of activism. When the delegates arrive on the convention grounds within the morning, they need to go a small demonstration at a slender level. Sauer additionally demonstrates: “Pay up,” she shouts. This goes to the industrialized nations, which ought to contribute extra to worldwide local weather financing. “Phase out” goes out to everybody: minimize down on fossil power. Activists from the worldwide south communicate on the demonstration. Some finish their brief speeches with “Thank you, comrades.”

Sauer took half, she later reviews, so as to present solidarity with those that had been already feeling extra of local weather change than she did within the comparatively spared Heidelberg. “The protest this morning was a real energizer for me.” But she, the German activist, whose affiliation lined the prices of her journey to the convention, additionally had an “oh dear, I belong here” feeling. As an activist, she at all times asks herself what her function ought to be. In any case, it’s good that many convention contributors heard the calls for. Maybe that may assist.

She hasn’t achieved a lot in discussions with authorities representatives. In some instances, representatives of different NGOs suggested her towards sure questions. It was very good with State Secretary Morgan and the ambiance was very trusting. “I think the effect of the conversation is greater for us than for her.” In any case, she by no means anticipated to have the ability to affect the German authorities.

But she would not wish to go away it unturned both. When Federal Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck arrived in Baku on Monday, Sauer handed him a field of dominoes. Children and younger individuals from the character conservation youth group wrote their calls for for the local weather convention on it: “Save the Ocean” is written on it, “Save Olaf” (the snowman from a Disney movie, not the Chancellor) or “Meet the 1.5 degree target” . “Ah,” says Habeck. Then they take a bunch picture with different younger activists. Habeck later thanked them personally and requested them if they generally had enjoyable on the convention. “Sometimes,” she replied.