Dear Chancellor Scholz,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the City Hall of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg to the opening of the first Hamburg Sustainability Conference.
More than 100 countries are represented at the conference: by their heads of state and government, ministers, ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic and consular corps.
I also welcome the representatives of international organisations and the many participants from politics, business, science and civil society.
Hamburg is home to people from 190 nations. It is an honour for our city that the international community comes together here to discuss strategies and projects for a sustainable, better future for us all.
As a result of the Covid19 pandemic and increasing global crises and wars, the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, adopted in 2015 and renewed in 2023, has stalled.
In a world that has recognised the urgency of climate and environmental protection, of a sustainable economy and way of life for people, and the fight against social inequality, the international community must act together, because:
Global goals can only be achieved through global partnership.
The Hamburg Sustainability Conference aims to provide a framework, an independent forum for
- discussion and exchange of experience,
- new concepts, ideas and initiatives,
- multilateral alliances, partnerships, and cooperation.
The HSC program is dedicated to three core questions:
- How to make investment in sustainable development more attractive, secure and scalable?
- How can the international financial architecture be made more equitable and sustainable?
- How can the potential of major transformation processes, such as the transition to renewable energy or digitalisation, be harnessed in the spirit of the United Nations' sustainability goals?
Ladies and Gentlemen,
More than half of the world's population lives in cities. They consume 80% of the world's energy, produce 70% of greenhouse gas emissions and more than half of its waste.
But they are also the centers of social and technological progress. They combine economic strength, scientific excellence and innovation.
Global metropolises therefore have a special responsibility, but also the potential to lead the way in developing and implementing solutions for a globally sustainable future.
Hamburg is ready for this.
For centuries, the development of our city, the economic strength, prosperity and quality of life of our citizens have been based on the port, trade, and good relations with all continents and international cooperation, supported by a globally networked economy, science, culture and 100 consulates.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Hamburg is known as Germany's "Gateway to the World".
With the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, the City of Hamburg wants to contribute beyond its borders to achieving the sustainability goals worldwide.
Thank you for being here,
and many thanks to the co-initiators of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference,
- the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
- the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- and the Michael Otto Foundation
for their commitment.
I wish you all a successful conference, many new ideas and contacts, interesting discussions and a pleasant stay in Hamburg.
Thank you very much.
