Transatlantic Climate Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Transatlantic Climate Bridge is a climate partnership between Germany
and the United States.
The partnership was first proposed by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
in a April 2008 lecture at Harvard University
. He believed that climate policy was the core of transatlantic matters. On 29 September 2008, he and German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel
wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
, "Together with the United States, we can make the technological breakthroughs required and successfully negotiate a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. Only if we work closely with our partners on the other side of the Atlantic will we succeed in convincing emerging countries such as China, India and Brazil, as well as Russia, to opt for a sustainable growth model that spares the climate." The next day, the climate bridge was launched by Germany at a conference at the German Foreign Office in Berlin
, where about 300 American, Canadian, and German representatives invited by Steinmeier and Gabriel convened. There, they "sought to identify innovative solutions for tackling climate change".
In the US, the initiative was launched on 16 December in Washington, D.C.
, at the invitation of German Ambassador to the US Klaus Scharioth
. The partnership entails cooperation between US and German officials in matters of confronting climate change. It aims to develop novel ways to reduce emissions and to improve energy efficiency.
Politics of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...
and the United States.
The partnership was first proposed by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , and currently the leader of the opposition in the Bundestag. Steinmeier was a close aide of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, serving as Chief of Staff in the German Chancellery from 1999 to 2005...
in a April 2008 lecture at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He believed that climate policy was the core of transatlantic matters. On 29 September 2008, he and German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel
Sigmar Gabriel
Sigmar Gabriel is a German politician currently chairing the Social Democratic Party of Germany .On 15 December 1999, after the resignation of Gerhard Glogowski, who had succeeded Gerhard Schröder in office, Gabriel became Minister-President of Lower Saxony and served until 4 March 2003...
wrote in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , short F.A.Z., also known as the FAZ, is a national German newspaper, founded in 1949. It is published daily in Frankfurt am Main. The Sunday edition is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung .F.A.Z...
, "Together with the United States, we can make the technological breakthroughs required and successfully negotiate a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. Only if we work closely with our partners on the other side of the Atlantic will we succeed in convincing emerging countries such as China, India and Brazil, as well as Russia, to opt for a sustainable growth model that spares the climate." The next day, the climate bridge was launched by Germany at a conference at the German Foreign Office in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where about 300 American, Canadian, and German representatives invited by Steinmeier and Gabriel convened. There, they "sought to identify innovative solutions for tackling climate change".
In the US, the initiative was launched on 16 December in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, at the invitation of German Ambassador to the US Klaus Scharioth
Klaus Scharioth
Dr. Klaus Scharioth is a German diplomat. From 2006 to 2011 he served as Germany's ambassador to the United States.Scharioth was born in Essen, located in the Ruhr Area in western Germany. He studied law in Bonn, Freiburg and Geneva and political science, sociology and psychology at The College of...
. The partnership entails cooperation between US and German officials in matters of confronting climate change. It aims to develop novel ways to reduce emissions and to improve energy efficiency.