The world’s highest-emitting nations continue to display a “lack of ambition” when it cones to setting out proactive climate plans, the World Resources Institute (WRI) has said.
Ani Dasgupta, president and CEO of the WRI, was commenting following several new countries outlining their climate commitments through to 2035, at the close of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit.
Well short
The latest announcements will feed into the UN’s forthcoming NDC Synthesis Report, which is scheduled for release ahead of COP30 in Brazil in November. However, Dasgupta warned that global efforts continue to fall well short of what’s required.
“We cannot sugarcoat it: these new climate plans do not put us anywhere near on track for a safe future,” he said. “The lack of ambition so far from most major emitters, barring a few, underscores the immense political challenge countries face in transforming their entire economy. Yet vulnerable countries continue to step up with bold climate leadership.
“Countries’ last round of NDCs put the world on track for up to 2.8°C of warming, already exposing billions of people to more frequent and intense heatwaves, wildfires, storms and floods. By 2035, the world needs to cut 31.2 gigatons of emissions to stay on track for 1.5°C, or 20.2 Gt for 2°C. The NDCs and announcements so far would reduce that by just 2 gigatons — only 6% of what’s needed for 1.5°C and 10% for 2°C.”
Greater ambition
With COP30 now just around the corner, Dasgupta said that it was “critical” that all nations – including major emitters – deliver the most ambitious possible climate plans.
“Some countries are taking steps to transform key sectors of their economy,” he said. “Falling costs are accelerating this momentum: clean energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicles are now the lowest cost option in many parts of the world — creating jobs, boosting countries’ growth and competitiveness, securing reliable clean energy, and improving people’s quality of life.
“Countries need to do much more to seize this momentum and scale up renewable energy and clean transport solutions.”
As the WRI noted, in 2024, climate-related disasters were estimated to cost the global economy at least $300 billion, and without more ambitious action, “these losses will continue to escalate. By COP30, all countries must present a clear response and double down on solutions within our grasp to cut emissions and build adequate resilience.”
Elsewhere, Brazil president Lula earlier this week pondered whether the world “will arrive in Belém with its homework done”. Read more here and here.
