German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be hoping to end a tough political year on a high note with a climate change deal at the Paris summit on global warming, which opens next week.
A successful outcome could help renew her political authority after a year spent grappling with a series of crises, which have at different points threatened to undermine her standing as Europe’s preeminent political leader.
The year started with Merkel struggling to head off the threat of the breakup of the euro following the election of an anti-austerity government in Greece, while at the same spearheading efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Even before the Greek crisis ended, Merkel suddenly had to contend with the mass influx of refugees into Europe and the Volkswagen emissions scandal.
Now, she has unveiled plans to join the new military alliance to defeat Islamic State following this month’s deadly terrorist attacks on Paris.
However, despite the political pressures of the last 12 months, Merkel has campaigned to keep climate change on the global agenda by raising the issue in her talks with world leaders as the momentum towards Paris has picked up speed.
Climate change has formed part of Merkel’s talks with leaders such as as US President Barack Obama, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
The push to combat climate change has been one of the key issues defining Merkel’s career since she emerged on the German political stage a quarter of a century ago, leading the press to dub her the climate chancellor.
Since her days as environment minister in the mid 1990’s Merkel has invested considerable political capital in attempting to secure an agreement aimed at curbing greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
A trained scientist, Merkel’s four years as head of the environment ministry also made her well aware of the enormous difficulties in winning global support for a credible deal on climate change.
Two decades ago she helped to steer nations to an accord that laid the groundwork for the 1997 Kyoto agreement aimed at cutting CO2 emissions when she chaired the 1995 climate change talks in Berlin.
As environment minister she went on to lead the German delegation in the Kyoto negotiations.
Then in June this year Merkel pulled off a major coup when she secured the backing of leaders attending a Group of Seven summit of advanced economies in Bavaria for a binding deal to phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century.
With Merkel chairing the summit, the G7 leaders also agreed to hold the increase in the global average temperature below 2-degree Celsius over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.
But agreeing to binding targets has eluded the international community for decades, despite a scientific consensus and growing pressure on leaders from voters who want action.
If the climate chancellor helps achieve a new deal to cap global warming at next week’s talks in Paris, it will be her crowning achievement.
