12 December 2023 Fueling the powerhouse through cooperation

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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Maria Ressa,
Excellencies,
Members of parliament,

It is a pleasure to have you all here.

If I had to find one word that describes Asia, it would be: powerhouse. Asia is the pivotal point for a multipolar world order. It is one of the strongest economic regions in the world. It has become an innovation and technology hub like no other. And, right now, one out of every two people in the world lives in Asia.

But there is no light without shadow. Compared with the rest of the world, Asia’s greenhouse gas emissions are increasing faster than the global average. Asia gets hit by climate disasters more often and more drastically than other continents. And lately, as a result of high inflation coupled with the covid-19 pandemic, poverty has increased in several Asian countries.

That is why our cooperation with Asia has to be put on a new footing.

A footing that is innovative, so as to deal with challenges such as climate change and conflicts. A footing that is social, so as to make sure that, when striving for a Just Transition, no one is left behind. And a footing that is feminist. Because the world community simply cannot afford to dismiss 50 per cent of its potential.

In making our cooperation more innovative, social and feminist, there are two things we must keep in mind.

First: that our communication has to be based on mutual respect, and on listening and understanding one another. We may not always share the same values, the same interests. But where we do, we should learn from one another and develop combined strategies. This is particularly true for fighting climate change and loss of biodiversity. And where we don’t share the same values and interests, we should nevertheless listen to each other. Especially then. And we should try to understand one another, so as to overcome our differences.

Secondly, we have to keep in mind that challenges are often opportunities in disguise. Because as climate change is forcing the world community to reduce carbon emissions, Asia and Europe have the possibility to become key actors in developing for example green hydrogen, in transforming agriculture, and in setting up smart cities. It is not by chance that countries become innovation drivers. It is by decision and design that they grow to become market leaders.

And I believe that this type of power comes with responsibilities. My ministry conducted a long consultation process with many of you sitting here today or being online with us. With representatives from civil society, politics and partner countries, and from business and science. And together we came up with five responsibilities or cornerstones that we have integrated into the ministry’s new Asia Strategy.

Let me start with gender equality. Women deserve equality. And because women can only make a difference when they have the same rights, resources and representation as men. Only then can women make our societies economically stronger and more peaceful.

In Bangladesh, for example, supporting women is key to making families more resilient against climate change. In a project in Khulna, women who had migrated from the coastal area - due to climate change - received small loans. They also learned how to run small enterprises like livestock breeding or setting up cafés and catering businesses. With the income they make, they can send their children to school. My Parliamentary State Secretary Bärbel Kofler – who will join us later –visited this project last year.

The second cornerstone is climate change: climate and development are closely connected and they are the DNA of Germany’s cooperation with Asia. That is why we will continue to stay ambitious with our climate projects. With Indonesia we have started a Just Energy Transition Partnership – a JETP. Within this framework, we are supporting Indonesia in its efforts to reach net-zero emissions for the power sector by 2050. That would be 10 years earlier than Indonesia had originally planned. The JETP is not just about reducing CO₂ emissions. It's about a socially just transition. It's about ensuring that, as the world shifts to renewable energy, the lives and livelihoods of all people are uplifted.

How can we achieve that? Through our third cornerstone: vocational training. The energy transition will only be successful if there are enough trained specialists in the renewable sector. And of course, new, high-quality jobs also improve the lives of employees and their families. Which is what development cooperation is all about.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Will that be enough to make Asia’s population resilient against climate change? No, because people also need to be socially protected against climate disasters and other life risks. That is why our cooperation will focus, fourthly, on setting up social protection systems. In our cooperation with Pakistan, we are bringing social protection and climate resilience together.

I have agreed with Pakistan’s Climate Minister to work together on climate risk funding. We are increasingly supporting the adaptation of existing social protection systems to climate risks. So that people who suffer climate-related losses can quickly and easily receive support in time of need.

And last but not least, it is our responsibility as a world community to protect biodiversity and ecosystems. Because they are the basis of our common livelihood. And that is our fifth cornerstone. By contributing to the Legacy Landscapes Fund, we are contributing to the long-term conservation of particularly important ecosystems such as the Central Cardamom Mountains National Park in Cambodia and the Gunung Leuser National Park in Indonesia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I began this speech by calling Asia a powerhouse. And every powerhouse needs, you guessed it: power. So let us work together in order to generate that power in an innovative, social, and feminist way. And also: to make it sustainable.

Thank you very much.