From Agenda to Action: Accountability Through Measurable Goals
The Global Action Agenda under the UNFCCC was updated at COP30 and is a promising instrument to catalyse climate action, focusing on cooperation between countries, subnational, and non-state actors. However, the objectives set under this agenda for different thematic areas are not quantifiable and therefore do not allow for progress tracking against the long-term Paris goals.
Assessing the alignment of climate initiatives with the Paris goals
This study aims to assess the alignment of mitigation climate initiatives categorised under the Action Agenda thematic objectives with the Paris goals. By selecting relevant indicators per objective, we illustrate this alignment.
The results show that, in total, they align with global below 2 °C pathways by 2030 but not beyond, while alignment with below 1.5 °C pathways requires more ambition both in the near and longer term. Therefore, more ambitious, long-term targets are needed, as well as broadening the thematic areas of the initiatives to include the mitigation of N2O and fluorinated gas emissions. Furthermore, expansion to light industry is also crucial.
Next steps
The next step is to collaborate with experts, initiative coordinators, and initiative signatories, to determine appropriate goals for the Action Agenda objectives.
This Policy Brief is published under the ACHIEVE project, which receives funding from Horizon Europe. The aim of the project is to strengthen and scale high-integrity voluntary climate action for net-zero emissions by mid-century. PBL leads the work package ‘Scaling up, transition & exploitation’, which includes the goal to integrate climate actions of cooperative climate initiatives, and individual non-state and subnational actors into integrated assessment models. For more information, visit the ACHIEVE project website.
Authors
Specifications
- Publication title
- From Agenda to Action: Accountability Through Measurable Goals
- Publication date
- 24 June 2026
- Publication type
- Publication
- Page count
- 42
- Publication language
- English
- Product number
- 6208
