Superficial what is heard on the this year’s climate summit is pretty dull: It’s in Katowice, especially for technical questions. The delegations from almost 200 countries to 14. December will be agreed, by which rules the climate agreement of Paris, in a practical policy is to be implemented.

How the emissions are measured? How transparent is the book must be the leadership of the States? The same standards apply to everyone? It’s tricky to detail in the questions with which the legal and diplomatic Nerds will continue in the coming two weeks apart. To some of you, is essential in order to make international climate policy in a measurable and comparable. But great progress in a specific climate protection are not to be expected from the official program in Katowice.

Arnold Schwarzenegger at the UN climate change conference – “America is more than Washington” US movie star and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out against the climate policy of the US President, Donald Trump. The regional politicians he praised, however, for your use. © Photo: picture alliance/AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski

In truth, it goes straight to this climate summit about the Whole thing. Because the warnings of science have become in the past few weeks, always pressing. In Paris, it was agreed that in 2015, in a historic agreement to limit the warming of the earth, as in the case of a value below plus two degrees Celsius, and mean plus 1.5 degrees. However, if mankind makes it so, and heats up the Planet more by three to four degrees Celsius. In order to have any Chance at all on the 1.5 degrees called for by the IPCC in this autumn, “fast, far-reaching and unprecedented Changes in all areas of society”.

this means that The prevailing economic system would have to change to limit climate change. We need to not only be green growth, but an economy that works, just with less growth – and especially ideas on how to production and distribution then organized in a way that all can live well from the generated wealth.

How to make a just Transition possible?

The discussion does not advance, and nevertheless, many governments – including the German – in the field of climate policy. Worldwide, the emissions reach new record values. The resistance to a consistent climate policy is growing, but because powerful interests are against you, and perhaps also because, more and more people realize how deep the changes should go, and that it will not go out without a waiver, and because the change threatens to a climate-friendly economy and also livelihoods, for example, the coal workers.

UN climate conference – the world Bank says climate aid in the billions to the UN climate change conference, the world Bank, $ 200 billion in aid for poor countries in the fight against climate change. This is twice as much as before. © Photo: picture alliance/Omar Marques/SOPA Images via ZUMA Wire/dpa

So seen it is on this climate change summit, in fact, everything. The signs are not promising: The multilateralism is in crisis. The United States insist that the Paris climate agreement to withdraw. Recently Brazil has also signaled resistance. There is also the conference venue itself, because Katowice is located in the middle of the coal area, and the Polish government wants the future of the workers is playing on the summit of a Central role. Just Transition a just transition, is their Motto.

justice can be, the Transition only if he also takes into account the interests of future generations and those people who are today affected already by climate change. Just because Katowice is located in a coal area, it could could be the right place to negotiate about how a just Transformation of appearance. The right time is definitely: exactly now.