· 3 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Ten years after the Paris Agreement, most signatory countries have failed to submit updated climate plans, as required every five years
• A new UN report reveals that only 64 countries have submitted new pledges — just one-third of the total — leaving the world without a complete picture of current global emissions trajectories
• The limited data shows that even full implementation of existing plans would reduce emissions by only 17% by 2035, far short of the 37% needed to stay below the 2°C warming threshold
🔭 The context: The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, created a global framework to limit global warming to “well below” 2°C, with an aspirational goal of 1.5°C
• Countries are required to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years to reflect increasing ambition
• The most recent deadline passed with widespread non-compliance, reflecting declining political momentum and growing resistance to climate policy in several major economies — including the U.S., where President Donald Trump has already dismissed the Biden-era climate plan submitted to the UN
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The failure to deliver updated and ambitious NDCs severely undermines global efforts to prevent catastrophic climate change
• Emissions are not falling at the pace or scale required, and key milestones — such as the 1.5°C target — are now likely to be exceeded, according to the UN Secretary-General
• Delays in national commitments ripple through finance, adaptation, and technology efforts, weakening trust in the multilateral process and slowing the deployment of clean energy solutions needed for a sustainable global transition
⏭️ What's next: COP30 in Brazil will be a critical moment for countries to restore credibility by submitting enhanced climate pledges and committing to actionable pathways
• Pressure will increase on lagging governments to recommit to transparent climate planning frameworks
• Analysts warn that without stronger signals from top emitters, including China, the EU, and the U.S., the world risks locking in overshoot scenarios that require costly and uncertain negative-emissions technologies
💬 One quote: “There seems to be very little political appetite to come forward with ambitious climate commitments.” — Niklas Höhne, NewClimate Institute
📈 One stat: To stay below 1.5°C warming, global emissions must fall 57% by 2035—more than three times the projected cuts under current pledges.
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