Almost all nations lost a UN deadline on Monday to present new objectives to cut carbon emissions, including the main economies under pressure to show leadership after the United States withdrawal over climate change.
Only 10 of almost 200 countries required by virtue of the Paris Agreement to deliver new climatic plans before February 10 did it on time, according to a UN database that tracks the presentations.
According to the climate agreement, each country is supposed to provide a more pronounced holder figure to cut heat capture emissions by 2035, and a detailed plan on how to achieve this.
Global emissions have increased, but they need to reduce by half almost half at the end of the decade to limit global warming to safer levels agreed in the Paris Agreement.
The UN Climate Chief Simon Stiell has called this last round of national promises “the most important policy documents of this century.”
However, only a handful of main pollutants delivered in improved objectives in time, with China, India and the European Union the most important names in a long list of absent.
Most G20 economies were missing with action with the United States, Great Britain and Brazil, which is organizing this year’s UN climate summit, the only exceptions.
The American promise is largely symbolic, made before President Donald Trump ordered Washington outside the Paris Agreement.
Responsibility
There is no penalty for presenting late objectives, formally entitled specific contributions nationwide (NDC).
They are not legally binding, but they act as a measure of responsibility to ensure that countries take climate change seriously and make their right part to achieve the objectives of Paris.
The slow response will not relieve the fears of a possible setback on climatic action as leaders juggled with Trump’s return and other competitive priorities from the budget and security crises to electoral pressure.
Ebony Holland of the International Institute of Environment and Development said that the withdrawal of the United States was “clearly a setback”, but there were many reasons for warm participation.
“It is clear that there are some broad geopolitical changes in progress that are demonstrating to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially in large issues such as climate change,” said Holland, a policy leader in the group of experts based in London.
The EU, historically a leader in climatic politics, has been delayed by internal elections and processes and is preparing for new surveys in Germany and Poland.
An EU spokeswoman said that a collective objective for the 27 -nations block would be announced “very ahead” of the UN climate conference Cop30 in November.
“We will continue to be a main voice for international climate action,” he said.
Analysts say that China, both the world’s largest contaminator and its largest renewable energy investor, was also expected to publish its highly anticipated NDC in the second half of 2025.
The United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, Santa Lucía, New Zealand, Andorra, Switzerland and Uruguay completed the list of countries that made the limit of Monday.
Missing in action
Evans Njewa, a Malawa diplomat and president of the group of less developed countries, said that many poorest nations lacked financial resources and technical experience to compile such complex policies from the entire economy.
“The great issuers, whose historical and continuous pollution has promoted the climatic crisis, must assume responsibility and lead with the example,” he said AFP.
The countries have constantly arrive late in the presentation of periodic updates to their NDC since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015.
Last week, Stiell requested that the countries deliver the presentations of “first class” for September so that they could be properly evaluated before the UN climate summit in Belem.
“The worsening of the climatic crisis will not expect or stop its disastrous impact as the nations delay their action plans,” said Tracy Carty of Greenpeace International.
Linda Kalcher, executive director of the group of strategic experts, said in some cases that it was better for countries to work to adjust quality proposals, instead of hurrying somewhat weaker.
“The concern is that if too many countries are delayed, it could give the perception that they are not willing to act,” she said. AFP.
