Current climate pledges still fall way short on Paris goals, UN body says

The UN warns that national pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions fall far short of what's needed to combat climate change. As countries prepare for COP29 in Baku, stronger commitments are essential to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The United Nations reported that national pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions still significantly lack the ambition needed to prevent catastrophic global warming, as countries gear up for upcoming climate negotiations in November. 

Current "nationally determined contributions" (NDCs) submitted to the UN are projected to reduce global emissions by 2.6% from 2019 to 2030, an improvement from 2% last year. However, this falls short of the 43% reduction required to stay within the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Under the Paris Agreement, nations are required to present new, stronger NDCs by February next year. UNFCCC Secretary General Simon Stiell emphasized that current plans are insufficient to prevent global warming from severely impacting economies and livelihoods. He stated that upcoming NDCs must clearly outline a path forward.

The success of COP29 climate talks in Baku, where nearly 200 countries will discuss a global emissions trading system and a $100 billion annual financial package for developing nations, will be crucial for encouraging more ambitious pledges.

Pablo Vieira, global director of the NDC Partnership, noted that nations may leverage the NDC process to negotiate increased funding in exchange for bolder commitments, aiming to create investable plans that attract both public and private finance.

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