Comparing the sequence of climate change mitigation targets and policies in major emitting economies

The Paris Agreement requires that countries submit and update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to mitigate global climate change. This study projected greenhouse gas emissions to evaluate the progress of 25 countries towards their original and updated NDCs.  

It found that almost one-quarter of the countries submitted more ambitious, updated NDCs without adopting sufficient policies to meet their original targets. Additionally, in most countries, updated NDCs lead to emissions above current policies. 

The findings also suggest that these patterns are influenced by national constraints, especially reliance on fossil fuels. Appropriate sequencing of ambition raising and policy adoption is urgently needed to translate the Paris Agreement into action.

Authors

PBL Authors
Michel den Elzen Ioannis Dafnomilis Mark Roelfsema
Other authors
Leonardo Nascimento
Takeshi Kuramochi
Santiago Woollands
Mia Moisio
Nicklas Forsell
Zuelclady Araujo Gutierrez

Specifications

Publication title
Comparing the sequence of climate change mitigation targets and policies in major emitting economies
Publication date
1 November 2023
Publication type
Article
Publication language
English
Magazine
Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice
Issue
Volume 26, 2024, Issue 3-4: Climate Action through Policy Expansion and/or Dismantling: Country-Comparative Insights
Product number
5475