A majority of countries have missed a critical deadline to submit new climate pledges for 2035, leaving the world’s ability to limit global warming at risk. According to Carbon Brief analysis, just 10 out of 195 parties signed up to the Paris Agreement have published their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) by the February 10th deadline.
The missed deadline represents 83% of global emissions and nearly 80% of the world’s economy, making it a significant concern for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The agreement aims to limit warming to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels, with an ambition of keeping it at 1.5C.
Despite UN climate chief Simon Stiell’s assurance that “the vast majority of countries have indicated they will submit new plans this year,” only a few countries have met the deadline. The US and UK are among those to have submitted their NDCs, but their plans have been criticized for being insufficient in addressing the climate crisis.
The missed deadline is not surprising, as many countries have cited technical issues, economic pressures, and political uncertainty as reasons for their delay. EU officials have stated that their lengthy process for approving new legislation made it impossible to meet the deadline.
The situation repeats history, as previous rounds of pledges saw only a small fraction of countries meeting deadlines. The missed deadline highlights the need for increased pressure on countries to take immediate action in addressing climate change.
Countries still have time to submit their NDCs by September, but the clock is ticking. If they fail to do so, it will undermine the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5C and putting the world at risk of catastrophic climate consequences.
Source: https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-95-of-countries-miss-un-deadline-to-submit-2035-climate-pledges