COP30 & New Climate Plans – A Step Forward, But the World Still Has Work to Do!

Date:
December 1, 2025
 
Before COP30, all countries were required to submit new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – plans showing how they will cut emissions to help keep global warming well below 2°C and continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
 
✅ What went well:
The EU confirmed its new NDC: a 66–72% reduction in emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, following its newly adopted 90% reduction goal for 2040 and a clear path to climate neutrality by 2050.
Several major economies – including Brazil, Japan, Norway, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, the UAE and the UK – also stepped up with stronger climate plans ahead of COP30.
By the end of the Conference, over 122 countries had submitted NDCs to the UNFCCC, covering almost 80% of global emissions.
 
📊 What this means:
Combined, these pledges would reduce global emissions by about 12% below 2019 levels by 2035.
For comparison: without the Paris Agreement, global emissions were projected to rise 20–48% above 2019 levels by 2035.
 
⚠️ The challenge:
These commitments bring the world closer to a Paris-aligned path, but more ambition is still needed. Some of the biggest emitters have yet to deliver plans that match what science demands.

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