As the deadline for submitting updated carbon reduction targets passed on Monday, the majority of nations – including major emitters such as China, India, and the EU – missed the cut-off point, reflecting the ongoing difficulties of international cooperation regarding climate change.
The United Nations' deadline for submitting updated carbon reduction targets passed on 10 February, with nearly all nations failing to deliver their revised commitments on time.
According to a UN database, only 10 out of nearly 200 countries met the cut-off, leaving major polluters – including China, India, and the European Union – absent from the list.
"It's clear there are some broad geopolitical shifts underway that are proving to be a challenge when it comes to international cooperation, especially on big issues like climate change," said Ebony Holland of the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development.
Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, each nation was expected to propose more ambitious climate goals for 2035, detailing how they would achieve them.
Despite this requirement, most G20 countries failed to meet the deadline.
Among the few exceptions were the United States, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. The American pledge was largely symbolic, however, having been made before President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement.
"The US retreat from Cop21 was clearly a setback," Holland noted, highlighting the broader uncertainty surrounding international climate commitments.
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France lags in climate commitments
France – despite being a central player in European climate policy – has struggled to align its ambitions with concrete results.
In 2023, the government announced a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
While this roadmap included steps such as promoting electric vehicles and shifting freight transport off the roads, the country had only managed a 25 percent reduction at the time, indicating the challenge ahead.
More recently, reports of an almost six percent drop in emissions in 2023 was met with scepticism from environmental groups, who argued that the decline was due to temporary factors – such as increased nuclear energy production – rather than lasting policy changes.
On a broader scale, the European Union has seen mixed progress in its climate goals.
By 2023, the bloc had reduced its emissions by 37 percent from 1990 levels.
However, the European Commission has warned that based on existing policies, the EU is only on track to achieve a 51 percent reduction by 2030 – falling short of its legally binding 55 percent target.
Sectors such as agriculture, heating, and road transport have proven significant obstacles to meeting this goal.
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September deadline set
The lack of timely submissions and the failure to hit existing climate targets raise concerns about the ability of nations to meet their Paris Agreement commitments.
The UN climate chief, Simon Stiell, recently described this round of climate pledges as "the most important policy documents of this century".
Yet, with the slow response from major economies and geopolitical uncertainties complicating efforts, the global fight against climate change faces an uphill battle.
As countries now work toward a revised September deadline, there remains hope that delayed submissions will still push ambitious policies forward.
A European Commission has confirmed that the EU intends to submit its updated targets "well ahead" of the Cop30 summit being hosted by Brazil in November.
Meanwhile, analysts predict that China – the world’s largest polluter and a major investor in renewables – will release its long-anticipated climate plan later in the year.
(with newswires)
