Deadlines loom for updated Paris Agreement climate pledges
Countries worldwide must submit ambitious updates to their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement by early 2025, ahead of COP30 in Brazil. Developed nations face a year-end 2024 deadline, while developing countries have until February 2025. These pledges are crucial for aligning global efforts with the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, requires signatory countries to outline their plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through NDCs, which must be updated every five years with increasing ambition. The first round of NDCs was submitted around 2020, and the next set is due in 2025, marking the initial submissions under the agreement's enhanced transparency framework.
Developed countries, including major emitters like the United States and those in the European Union, are required to submit their updated NDCs by the end of 2024. Developing countries, which include nations such as India and Brazil, have a slightly extended deadline of February 2025. As of the latest reports, only about 25% of the 195 Paris Agreement parties have submitted their new or updated NDCs, highlighting a lag in preparation.
This round of pledges is particularly significant as it sets the course for global emissions trajectories leading up to 2035. Experts emphasize that to meet the Paris Agreement's aims, NDCs must collectively reduce emissions by at least 43% from 2019 levels by 2030. "The 2025 NDCs are a critical opportunity to bend the emissions curve downward," noted a climate policy analyst in recent discussions.
COP30, scheduled for November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, will review these submissions and push for stronger commitments. Brazil, as the host, has called for NDCs that incorporate nature-based solutions and just transitions for vulnerable communities. The conference builds on previous COPs, where gaps in ambition were evident; for instance, current policies project warming of around 2.5 degrees Celsius if unchanged.
Challenges include political shifts, economic pressures, and the need for financial support from developed nations to aid developing ones in implementation. Despite these hurdles, timely submissions could accelerate progress toward net-zero goals by mid-century.