German minister: China, Gulf states must contribute into climate fund

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday appealed to major emitters of climate-damaging greenhouse gases to fulfil their financial responsibility towards poorer countries.

Her remarks came just over three weeks before the start of the next World Climate Conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan.

"The current major emitters must get on board. It is not acceptable for us to focus solely on historical responsibility," Baerbock said on Friday at an event for COP29 at the German Foreign Office in Berlin.

Baerbock, a Green, named China and the Gulf states as countries that have contributed far too little to fund climate change and adaption investments in vulnerable countries.

The question of money is expected be a major sticking point in the climate COP, as participants try to decide how to fund aid for countries particularly hard-hit by the effects of climate change, such as rising seas and more intense storms.

A resolution on climate funding is due to be adopted at the COP29 conference in Baku, after countries failed to agree on a text during a 10-day preparatory conference in the western German city of Bonn in June.

A series of agreements - including the 2015 Paris Climate Accords - have called on industrialized countries to provide billions of dollars in aid.

However, the question now is how to proceed. Some industrialized countries are demanding that the Arab countries and China - which are still officially considered emerging economies according to the United Nations - should also contribute to the fund in the future.

Baerbock said Germany has played a "pioneering role" in climate financing, and last year provided almost €10 billion ($10.86 billion) in international climate aid, including €5.7 billion in public funds.

Baerbock said that last year's climate COP had succeeded in setting up a fund into which not only more countries would pay, but which also provided for a fairer distribution of funds "to the countries that have really been hit."