Climate Commitments Update:

Tracking the short and long-term climate goals of leading greenhouse emissions countries

Climate Scorecard is tracking the ability of leading greenhouse gas emitting countries to commit to and develop plans for achieving short-term (by 2030) and long-term (by 2050) emission reduction targets. The summary graph and detailed country profiles below will be updated on a regular basis. We also will publish a monthly update of our Country Climate Commitments and make it available to those on the Climate Scorecard mailing list, which you can join here.

Countries & Regions Represented in Each Bar

1. Brazil, E.U., France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Poland, United Kingdom
2. Brazil, E.U., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States
   
3. E.U., France, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, United Kingdom
4. Australia, Brazil, Canada, E.U., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, United Kingdom
5. Australia, Canada, E.U., Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

In the fall of 2023, ahead of COP 28, many countries updated their NDCs and buckled down on climate commitments. Conversations at COP 28, which took place from the 30th of November to the 13th of December in Dubai, UAE, did not manage to put a definitive end to the era of fossil fuels, but they did make important strides toward that goal. Many countries continue to be off-track when it comes to meeting their Paris Agreement goals, but sure progress is being made toward successful mitigation of the global climate crisis.

At COP28, participating Parties established the goals of tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency improvements by 2030, as well as moving forward with the transition away from fossil fuels. A central issue at the conference was climate finance, specifically funding for climate change mitigation in emerging economies. Six countries pledged new funding, and the total amount pledged now reaches USD 12.8 billion. This increase in finances will make important research and innovative solutions more feasible.

One of COP28’s most important discussions was the global stocktake, which examined the world’s progress on climate change mitigation. The stocktake focused on three main areas: mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage.

The outcomes of the stocktake signal a new, more drastic response to the global climate crisis. There are new guidelines regarding emissions that align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree goal. The stocktake reports that global greenhouse gas emissions must be cut by 43% by 2030 as compared with 2019 levels in order to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

The stocktake discusses the means to achieve this emissions reduction goal, including novel strategies and technologies within the energy sector. The world is undergoing a clean energy revolution, which is opening up new possibilities for meeting the 1.5 degree target.

Importantly, the stocktake has also provided guidance for the new era of NDCs, which are starting to be drafted as the world looks forward toward COP30 in Brazil, which will take place in November 2025. The stocktake recommends that this next generation of climate commitments includes economy-wide mitigation strategies. Additionally, the new NDCs should work toward closing the gap between their emissions targets and the actual implementation of policies to reach those targets. This can be achieved through NDCs that include detailed, feasible implementation plans to back up ambitious emissions goals.

As always, an integral piece of the shift toward a greener globe is the idea of a just transition. Officials at COP28 stressed the importance of ensuring that the transition toward renewables does not come at the cost of economic devastation for individuals and entire economies.

With COP30 comes the possibility of a true breakthrough in addressing the global climate crisis in a just way. COP28 set the stage for this with its discussions of increased financial support for developing countries and detailed implementation plans, but we must continue to monitor countries’ progress on the stocktakes’ ambitious goals leading up to November 2025. A global solution to this pressing global crisis is certainly within reach.

Detailed information by country can be found on our scorecard page here.