29/03/2018 - The designated Director and chief economist of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Ottmar Edenhofer, accompanied the new Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on his first visit to the United Nations in New York. Edenhofer was the only guest of the ministerial delegation. Germany seeks a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2019 and 2020. Minister Maas held a number of talks and campaigned for strengthening the United Nations in times of national unilateralist leanings.
At an event with the permanent members of the Caribbean and Pacific Island states, Maas emphasized the importance of climate policy. After the Minister, Ottmar Edenhofer gave an input on climate change and security. In his speech at the Security Council the following day, Maas pointed out that climate protection means security. The Foreign Minister also said that the German government wanted to support the efforts against climate change in the Security Council and further advance crisis prevention. "His speech was a strong commitment to multilateralism and Germany´s responsibility in global climate policy and global cooperation worldwide," Edenhofer said.
