Numerous major polluting nations have failed to meet a U.N. deadline for establishing new climate targets, as initiatives to mitigate global warming face challenges following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The nearly 200 countries that are part of the Paris Agreement were required to submit updated national climate strategies to the U.N. by Monday, detailing their plans to reduce emissions by 2035.
As of Monday morning, several of the largest polluters, including China, India, and the European Union, had not submitted their plans.
“The public has a right to expect a robust response from their governments, especially now that global warming has reached 1.5 degrees Celsius for an entire year, yet we have seen little of real significance,” stated Bill Hare, CEO of the science and policy institute Climate Analytics.
The 2015 Paris climate accord aims to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 C (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. Current actions have significantly lagged behind the substantial emissions reductions necessary to meet this goal. Last year marked the first instance of exceeding 1.5 C of warming.
Among the large economies that have unveiled new climate plans are the U.S., Britain, Brazil, Japan, and Canada, although Trump is anticipated to reverse the U.S.’s commitments made under the Biden administration.
Last month, Trump directed the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and halted certain federal clean energy investments.
U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell remarked last week that most countries have signaled their intention to submit their plans within this year.
“Countries are taking this very seriously, which is not surprising given that these plans will be crucial for securing a share of the $2 trillion investment in clean energy and infrastructure globally last year,” Stiell noted. “Therefore, taking additional time to ensure these plans are of the highest quality is a sensible approach,” he added.
The missed deadline raises concerns that climate action is being deprioritized on government agendas, with some officials indicating that the U.S. reversal on climate policy is hindering the efforts of other nations.
Wopke Hoekstra, the EU climate policy chief, informed Reuters last month that the bloc’s policymaking timeline does not align with the U.N. deadline; however, he assured that Brussels would have its strategy prepared for the COP30 U.N. climate summit in November.
According to a government official, India has yet to complete the necessary studies to formulate its climate plan.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry stated on Monday that the country will release its climate plan “in due course.”
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An official from Indonesia’s Environment Ministry mentioned that they are waiting for guidance from the President’s office regarding the submission of its climate target.
The governments of Iran, Russia, and South Africa did not provide comments when approached.
