Of the 195 parties to the Paris Agreement, only 21 had revised their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the 2035 timeframe as of May 2025. This is far fewer than the required submissions by the February 10, 2025, deadline. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 11% of countries announced updated climate targets ahead of COP30, with India among more than 170 nations that have not yet revealed their revised climate objectives.

According to the Paris Agreement, nations must update their NDCs regularly to reflect the global objectives of keeping the increase in temperatures worldwide well below 2°C and, ideally, at or below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Concern over the slow pace of updates is mounting as Brazil’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) approaches in only six months.

Camilla More, a climate diplomacy researcher at IIED, emphasized the need for immediate action, saying that revised objectives show how committed world leaders are to addressing the climate crisis, which is already creating significant disruption on a global scale.

Submitted NDCs Lack 1.5°C Compatibility, Say Analysts

Canada, Ecuador, Moldova, New Zealand, the Marshall Islands, Montenegro, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Saint Lucia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, Andorra, Japan, the United Kingdom, Zambia, Kenya, and the United States are among the nations that have submitted their updated NDCs as of May.

Ten of the twenty submitted NDCs have been examined by Climate Action Tracker (CAT), an independent evaluation of national climate actions and commitments. Only the UK’s revised NDC was judged to be consistent with the 1.5°C pathway. Neil Grant, a senior analyst at Climate Analytics, has previously pointed out that although the UK’s goals seem lofty, they do not accurately represent the nation’s fair share of emissions reductions.

According to CAT, the UK has not updated its 2030 objectives, which are still below the 1.5°C compatible range. The nation should boost its climate finance contributions so that developing nations can compensate for this. This limited progress underscores why only 11% of countries announce updated climate targets ahead of COP30, raising concerns about the seriousness of global commitments.

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Criticism of Over-Reliance on Carbon Capture in the UK

The UK government has proposed investing about £22 billion in carbon capture and storage technology. Professor of Natural Sciences Mark Maslin of University College London cautioned that this approach might prolong the country’s reliance on fossil fuels far into 2050, when net-zero emissions are expected to be achieved.

Camilla More concluded that drastic emissions reductions and strong adaptation assistance are necessary to address the growing costs of the climate crisis. She warned against letting short-term populism get in the way of long-term climate progress.

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