Latest news with #NDCs
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Strengthening preparedness through sustained climate leadership
The climate crisis consistently amplifies weather-related disasters and vulnerability by undermining resilience-building efforts. The World Meteorological Organization projects that by 2100, extreme droughts could affect twice as many people, especially in the Global South, while shrinking water storage threatens rural livelihoods and drives migration. Sea level rise may endanger assets worth 20% of global GDP, with coastal flooding intensifying in Europe and Asia. Rising temperatures could expose 500 million more people to diseases like malaria by 2050, as biodiversity loss and urbanisation boost disease vectors. Wildfire seasons may extend by three months in vulnerable areas, and the most severe tropical cyclones are projected to occur twice as often under a 2.5°C warming scenario. Climate crisis. (AFP) Developing countries are at a critical juncture, facing both pressing development needs and the climate crisis challenges. Their development priorities include poverty alleviation, infrastructure expansion, health care, and education. As they strive for economic growth, the developing countries are also vulnerable to climate-related risks. This dual challenge demands integrated strategies that align climate resilience with inclusive development. It should be supported by adequate financing, technology transfer, and global cooperation. Countries have several international frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to harmonise climate crisis policies across countries, which will facilitate institutional coordination to implement climate-resilient strategies. The Climate Change Performance Index 2025, prepared by Germanwatch, reveals that no one country is doing enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. It monitors countries' climate actions in four categories: greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy. According to Oxfam, the G20 is responsible for approximately 78% of GHG emissions, and these emissions are projected to increase by 10.6% by 2030. It also emphasises that the richest G7 and G20 countries must further strengthen their domestic climate action and significantly increase climate finance commitments. Many governments face significant challenges in advancing climate action due to limited political will, inadequate financial resources, and weak institutional coordination. Several studies have found that adaptation initiatives, such as early warning systems in countries like India and Bangladesh, have shown improvement. However, they lack sufficient integration of structural and social preparedness across policy sectors. Governments have demonstrated leadership by updating their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which include phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and scaling up renewable energy sources. NDCs reinforce global commitments, demonstrating that each country is committed to achieving the SDGs. It was supported by institutional leadership provided by UNDP's Climate Promise. For instance, all NDCs supported through it include energy-related goals or policies, while 90% also incorporate the agriculture sector. Achieving these goals not only addresses the climate crisis but also advances sustainable development objectives, such as improving energy access and ensuring food security. The IPCC, WMO, and UNFCCC continue to lead and support efforts by generating scientific consensus, facilitating dialogue, and monitoring global progress. G20 leadership in climate crisis action is crucial to meeting the 1.5 ℃ target. High-income G20 countries provide financial and technological support to lower-income countries in this effort. However, leadership in climate action is not just about formulating target goals and action plans. Most importantly, it is about delivering ambitious emission reduction targets, executing integrated strategies that address climate risk alongside national development, and strengthening international cooperation. Leadership with accountability to deliver promises requires implementing reports from independent climate commissions, regular stocktakes, and carbon pricing tools, among other measures. The OECD 2021 report states that local governments lack the authority and resources to implement adaptation plans at the local level. Local-level leadership in cities, municipalities, regions, and states is where the implementation of climate targets needs to be strengthened. These sub-national governments are at the forefront of addressing climate-related challenges. Local governments play a crucial role in achieving long-term sustainability through measures that promote low-emission and climate-resilient development. It cannot be done without empowering the local governments. Local leaders play a crucial role in translating climate goals into concrete actions, effectively bridging the gap between national commitments and implementation at the community level—through a global network of local governments that connects policy, knowledge sharing, and learning from one another. For example, the Climate Group's Under2Coalition of subnational governments seeks to accelerate policy adoption and enhance implementation by sharing global insights on successful and unsuccessful approaches. Others include America is All In, the UN-Habitat, the C40 global network of mayors, and the Global Covenant of Mayors. Addressing the climate crisis depends majorly on effective climate leadership delivering timely action with a commitment to fairness and concrete implementation. To secure a climate-resilient future, governments must strengthen their leadership, integrate systemic risk into national planning, and scale up comprehensive disaster and climate risk management across sectors. This requires aligning National Adaptation Plans and development strategies with robust risk analytics, inclusive governance, and measurable targets. Investing in resilient, low-carbon infrastructure and nature-based solutions is crucial, as is leveraging innovative, risk-informed financing and engaging the private sector to drive sustainable development. Empowering communities, primarily through gender equality, social protection, and a renewed social contract, is vital to ensure no one is left behind. Finally, public awareness must be driven by science-based communication, impact-based early warnings, and accessible climate information to shift behaviours and reduce vulnerabilities. This article is authored by Mehdi Hussain, former research associate, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Paris Agreement under pressure as climate goals falter ahead of COP30: WWF
GENEVA: The Paris Agreement, once a symbol of rare global unity, is increasingly at risk of losing its transformative power if world leaders continue to stall on delivery, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. With only a few months to go before the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 30) convenes in Brazil, alarm bells are sounding, as the world is not doing enough, and the consequences are fast approaching. Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, countries must regularly develop national plans of action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deal with the impacts of the climate crisis. These are called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). But ahead of COP30, only slightly over 20 countries have submitted their NDCs out of 198 member states. For WWF, the agreement still holds weight – but only just. ADVERTISING "The Paris Agreement has great political significance and is symbolic of unprecedented global unity on climate change. "Even if not all countries are meeting their goals yet, it does help shape laws, policies and public expectations. "But it is undeniably under stress," Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, the leader of WWF's global climate and energy work, told Anadolu. That stress, he said, comes from a gap between ambition and delivery, particularly from the countries with the most responsibility and capacity to lead. "Before the Paris Agreement, scientists estimated global warming would reach 3.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2100. "But if all climate plans committed to by countries so far are implemented, we are looking at more like 2.1 °C. "So this is significant progress and shows that coordinated action works, but clearly it is not enough." "The emissions pathways and climate trajectory have fundamentally shifted in the past decade. "Now it is the economy, science and social demand that will continue to move this process forward. "We have to keep our focus. We cannot afford to be distracted. And climate action must remain at the top of political agendas." The delays, Pulgar-Vidal said, are not accidental; they are driven by deep, systemic challenges that continue to weigh down meaningful action. "Turmoil in geopolitics, economic pressures, and the persistent, yawning gap between climate finance promises and delivery, lack of political will to fulfil existing climate commitments and to implement climate action addressing systemic changes needed, i.e., committing to timelines to phase out fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas, for example." "Many developing countries want to be ambitious with their actions but need concrete support to get there." The international community, he said, must not underestimate the power of people and civil society to shift the trajectory – especially in the critical months leading up to COP30. "Whether it be deadly heat waves, raging wildfires or floods, the climate crisis negatively affects people and nature all over the world. "People need to continue to demand strong action on climate change and the protection of nature. "WWF, with many other NGOs in the environmental sector, acts to hold governments accountable and also helps identify solutions," he said. Citing the WWF's latest report on engagement at COP30 and beyond, Pulgar-Vidal argued that civil society participation at COPs "must go far beyond symbolic attendance." "It requires active, inclusive and influential engagement in negotiations and decision-making," he stressed. As countries prepare to update their climate commitments ahead of COP30 in Belem, expectations are high for major emitters to act decisively. But according to WWF, it's not just about adding renewables but about replacing fossil fuels entirely. WWF argued that simply scaling up renewable energy isn't enough. With global energy demand still rising, renewables often end up adding to, rather than replacing, fossil fuels. Their recently published policy paper outlined a clear message to governments: true climate progress requires a full transition away from fossil energy, not just cleaner additions to the mix. "So WWF is calling for a complete phase-out of all fossil fuels before 2050, with developed countries taking the lead," Pulgar-Vidal said. "This is in line with the Global Stocktake, which contains the latest updates to the Paris Agreement." He urged COP30 to define a timeline for phasing out fossil fuels with the respective milestones. WWF's report Phasing Out Fossil Fuels through NDCs 3.0, which was published on June 20, provides government policymakers with a concrete example of what this could and should look like. With the clock ticking, WWF is urging political leaders to use 2025 as a tipping point, not another missed opportunity. "While the transition to a more sustainable future is now underway at unprecedented levels, it needs to accelerate even more. "We must use this landmark year to strengthen multilateralism to enable global climate action at scale. "We must accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels and into renewables and enhance climate action urgently while helping build resilience in the most impacted communities," Pulgar-Vidal said. Through initiatives like the NDCsWeWant campaign, WWF said it aims to equip policymakers with concrete strategies that meet both environmental and economic needs. Since 2018, WWF has offered governments guidance and support on developing and implementing NDCs. "WWF works directly with governments through many channels, but especially with our NDCsWeWant campaign, providing recommendations for policymakers on key elements we think are essential to be included in national climate plans," he said. "We also provide practical tools that can enhance economic development, improve energy security and protect communities." He warned that "without considerable emissions reductions in the next few years, we will overshoot the long-term 1.5 °C threshold in the next decade." "We will then face the even greater challenges and costs of bringing temperatures back down to below that level," he added. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, there is an 80 per cent chance that at least one year between 2025 and 2029 will be warmer than the warmest year on record, currently 2024. And there is an 86 per cent chance that at least one year will be more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level.
Euractiv
12 hours ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Fighting for the margins: Climate diplomacy may be the only front to engage China
Cecilia Trasi works at Bruegel as an Energy and Climate Research Analyst. Prior to joining Bruegel, she held positions at the European Commission and the OECD. She holds a BSc in Economics at Università Cattolica in Milan and a Master's in Public Policy at the Hertie School in Berlin. With COP30 in Belém on the horizon, global climate diplomacy is drifting. The last climate conference confirmed that delivery of climate commitments is lagging just as ambition must rise. So far, 173 countries – including China, India and the EU – have yet to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with pledges for 2035. The United States, for its part, has again pulled out of the Paris Agreement, slashed international climate finance and embraced a 'fossil fuel first' agenda. In this fragmented landscape, China stands out. It dominates clean technology supply chains, is scaling up renewables at home, and it is a force in climate diplomacy and finance to countries in the Global South. But this is not multilateral leadership in the traditional sense. China's climate engagement is strategic, domestically rooted, and tightly woven into its industrial and geopolitical ambitions. At the same time, the recently enacted Energy Law explicitly recognises coal as a 'basic safeguard and system regulator' in the national energy system. Coal still dominates its fuel mix, accounting for more than 70% of the overall fuel combustion CO2 emissions, over half of which comes from its power sector. This dual trajectory of expanding both renewables and coal is not an accident of policy: It is the policy. And it reflects a fundamental calculus: Climate policy in China must be consistent with domestic economic and political stability. Beijing expands green industries for competitiveness, scales fossil fuels for stability, and uses climate cooperation selectively to shape its external relationships. Climate policy in China is about domestic continuity first – and the external message is clear: It will decarbonise at its own pace, on its own terms. In this context, the July 2025 EU–China High-Level Dialogue offered little in substance – but important signals nonetheless. At a time of growing EU-China economic tension and sharp divergence in trade policy, both sides reaffirmed the value of structured climate engagement and the need to raise ambition ahead of COP30. Vice Premier Ding reiterated China's intention to submit a comprehensive NDC this fall, while EVP Ribera called for urgent progress from both sides. This mutual recognition underscores that climate diplomacy remains one of the areas where dialogue is functioning: not to affirm shared values, but to shape outcomes where interests align. Instead of hoping for breakthroughs, the EU should target cooperation in areas where concrete progress is possible: carbon markets, methane reduction, and adaptation finance. Continued technical dialogue on China's emissions trading system could enhance monitoring and verification, while laying groundwork for future interoperability. Methane mitigation (especially in coal and agriculture) offers quick, low-cost cuts, even without China joining the Global Methane Pledge. But, above all, adaptation offers a less politicised and more promising path forward. China has called for joint support to developing countries in their green transitions. While the motivations are strategic, the opportunity is real. Both sides are ramping up investments in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Aligning efforts, even loosely, on resilience infrastructure, early warning systems, and climate risk planning would allow the EU and China to deliver meaningful outcomes without requiring normative convergence. Structured coordination through platforms like the High-Level Dialogue can help ensure initiatives reinforce rather than duplicate each other. Still, the EU must remain clear-eyed. Brussels has urged China to commit to a declining emissions pathway by 2035. But without yet a target of its own, and with persistent tensions over trade instruments like CBAM, the bloc's leverage is limited. Instead of relying on moral authority, the EU should work through coalitions – with vulnerable states, emerging economies, and finance institutions. By raising the diplomatic cost of inaction while offering off-ramps for cooperation, the EU can help bend global ambition upwards. Europe must engage with this reality, without any illusions. Structured dialogue with China will not erase tensions and it is not about shared principles. But it can influence choices on the margins. And in the fight against climate change, margins matter.
Axios
a day ago
- Politics
- Axios
Three things to watch after the big UN climate ruling
A UN court's finding that countries face climate obligations under international law will find its way into climate litigation in multiple venues — as well as diplomatic and policy battles. Why it matters: It's also a win for the nations most vulnerable to climate change, including the Pacific island nation Vanuatu, which spearheaded the push for a decision. Catch up quick: The International Court of Justice found in a 140-page ruling that countries face requirements under various climate, environmental, and human rights agreements. The UN's judicial arm's unanimous opinion finds that "wrongful" acts under international law "require" cessation of those activities. It calls for compensation if a "sufficiently direct and certain causal nexus can be shown between the wrongful act and injury." A few quick things that caught my eye from the decision that will have ripple effects we'll be following for years: 1. It practically invites litigation over fossil fuels. Check out this line (with emphasis added, and remember "state" means country): "Failure of a State to take appropriate action to protect the climate system from GHG emissions — including through fossil fuel production, fossil fuel consumption, the granting of fossil fuel exploration licences or the provision of fossil fuel subsidies — may constitute an internationally wrongful act which is attributable to that State." 2. It tries to pump up those NDCs. The opinion seeks to put stronger scaffolding around the largely voluntary Paris Agreement, including countries' emissions pledges called "nationally determined contributions." That could bring new litigation over nations' NDCs by parties who argue they're too meek or not being implemented, attorneys backing the ruling say. "The court made it very clear that failure to implement an NDC would amount to a lack of good faith and a violation of the state's obligations," said Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, legal counsel for Vanuatu. "The content of the NDC also has to be consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement, including the 1.5°C temperature goal," she said at a news conference, though noted that developed industrial powers face more responsibilities. 3. Don't look for it to sway President Trump."As always, President Trump and the entire Administration is committed to putting America first and prioritizing the interests of everyday Americans," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said in a statement to Axios. Trump is moving the U.S. away from working with UN-affiliated bodies, and is again leaving the Paris Agreement. That said, the advisory opinion claims countries face obligations under multiple pacts the U.S. remains a part of, such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Montreal Protocol. The bottom line: The opinion is a BFD — but only to a point.
Scoop
3 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
UN's Guterres Declares Fossil Fuel Era Fading; Presses Nations For New Climate Plans Before COP30 Summit
22 July 2025 In a special address at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Guterres cited surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels. ' The energy transition is unstoppable, but the transition is not yet fast enough or fair enough, ' he said. The speech, A Moment of Opportunity: Supercharging the Clean Energy Age – a followup to last year's Moment of Truth – was delivered alongside a new UN technical report drawing on global energy and finance bodies. 'Just follow the money,' Mr. Guterres said, noting that $2 trillion flowed into clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels and up almost 70 per cent in a decade. Key points from the address Point of no return – The world has irreversibly shifted towards renewables, with fossil fuels entering their decline Clean energy surge – $2 trillion invested in clean energy last year, $800 billion more than fossil fuels Cost revolution – Solar now 41 per cent cheaper and offshore wind 53 per cent cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives. Global challenge – Calls on G20 nations to align new national climate plans with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement Energy security – Renewables ensure 'real energy sovereignty' Six opportunity areas – Climate plan ambition, modern grids, sustainable demand, just transition, trade reform, and finance for emerging markets. A shift in possibility He noted new data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) showing solar, once four times costlier, is now 41 per cent cheaper than fossil fuels. Similarly, offshore wind is 53 per cent cheaper, with more than 90 per cent of new renewables worldwide beating the cheapest new fossil alternative. ' This is not just a shift in power. It is a shift in possibility,' he said. Renewables nearly match fossil fuels in global installed power capacity, and 'almost all the new power capacity built' last year came from renewables, he said, noting that every continent added more clean power than fossil fuels. Clean energy is unstoppable Mr. Guterres underscored that a clean energy future 'is no longer a promise, it is a fact'. No government, no industry and no special interest can stop it. ' Of course, the fossil fuel lobby will try, and we know the lengths to which they will go. But, I have never been more confident that they will fail because we have passed the point of no return. ' He urged countries to lock ambition into the next round of national climate plans, or NDCs, due within months. Mr. Guterres called on the G20 countries, which are responsible for 80 per cent of emissions, to submit new plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit and present them at a highlevel event in September. Targets, he added, must 'double energy efficiency and triple renewables capacity by 2030' while accelerating 'the transition away from fossil fuels'. Real energy sovereignty The Secretary-General also highlighted the geopolitical risks of fossil fuel dependence. 'The greatest threat to energy security today is fossil fuels,' he said, citing price shocks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ' There are no price spikes for sunlight, no embargoes on wind. Renewables mean real energy security, real energy sovereignty and real freedom from fossil-fuel volatility. ' Six opportunity areas Mr. Guterres mapped six 'opportunity areas' to speed the transition: ambitious NDCs, modern grids and storage, meeting soaring demand sustainably, a just transition for workers and communities, trade reforms to broaden cleantech supply chains, and mobilising finance to emerging markets. Financing, however, is the choke point. Africa, home to 60 per cent of the world's best solar resources, received just 2 per cent of global clean energy investment last year, he said. Only one in five clean energy dollars over the past decade went to emerging and developing economies outside China. Flows must rise more than five-fold by 2030 to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive and deliver universal access. Mr. Guterres urged reform of global finance, stronger multilateral development banks and debt relief, including debtforclimate swaps. ' The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing. We are in the dawn of a new energy era,' he said in closing. ' That world is within reach, but it won't happen on its own. Not fast enough. Not fair enough. It is up to us. This is our moment of opportunity. '
