My motivation for 2023 is the new Brazilian government led by President Lula: Brazil now has the opportunity to move away from an economy based on the destruction of forests. The country has excellent conditions for sustainable agriculture and a green hydrogen economy. We will be in talks with the new government of Brazil on a partnership aimed at the socio-ecological transformation of the entire national economy.
What actions to take in 2023?
To get back on track with the global goal of sustainable development, we need effective ways to achieve multiple goals at once. Perhaps the most important development lever is the empowerment of women. Strong women contribute to the development of societies as a whole. This is why, at the Ministry of Development, we pay particular attention to our project portfolio.
The second lever is social safety nets. Currently, half of humanity, four billion people, does not have access to social benefits, for example in the event of unemployment, maternity, disability or accident at work. This must change. Social protection helps those affected, but it is also an exceptionally good investment in development: it increases the resilience of societies to crisis situations and tackles poverty, hunger and inequality. Social protection is also the right way to tackle climate damage – here we pledge to continue developing the Global Climate Risk Shield in 2023. Our aim is to provide help before the damage caused by climate change do happen so you can react quickly.
The third lever is the reform of the World Bank. We also need the involvement of major international actors in development policy, such as the World Bank, to carry out the necessary socio-ecological transformation. We intend to reform it to meet the global challenges of tomorrow. For example, developing countries need better opportunities to use World Bank loans for climate or nature protection purposes. This is because developing countries often do not have the financial resources to meet ambitious climate goals, despite being aware of this.
What should change on these issues internationally – and what role can Germany play?
The fight against hunger, poverty and inequality, as well as effective climate protection, must also take place at the multilateral level in order to have visible results. Our role in this regard is to forge progressive alliances and coordinate properly with other key players. In 2022, as the G7 Presidency, together with our international partners, we have already launched many activities: an alliance for global food security or a global umbrella against climate threats. We are still pursuing it. Another new aspect is the fact that we want to play a leading role in the field of social security in order to provide social protection to more people with international partners. On climate protection, we are also working with the G7 on a new partnership with India to support the energy transition. Because India, which will soon become the most populous country in the world, plays a vital role in achieving the global goals of sustainable development.
Svenja Schulze is Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development.
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