- Major polluting nations, including China, India, and the EU, missed the U.N. deadline to submit updated climate targets under the Paris Agreement.
- Despite global warming reaching 1.5°C for the first time in 2023, many countries have delayed action, raising concerns about achieving climate goals.
- U.S. President Donald Trump’s rollback of Biden-era climate policies and delayed plans from other key nations further hinder global efforts to curb emissions.
Several of the world’s largest polluters failed to meet a key U.N. deadline to submit updated climate targets, raising concerns about global climate efforts. Nearly 200 countries under the Paris Agreement needed to present plans to cut emissions by 2035, but major economies like China, India, and the European Union did not meet the deadline of Monday, February 10.
The 2015 Paris Climate Accord aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In 2023, global temperatures reached that threshold for an entire year, marking the first time. Despite this, countries have made slow progress toward meeting the accord’s goals.
“The public expects strong action, especially now that global warming has hit 1.5 degrees Celsius for an entire year,” said Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics. “Yet, governments have delivered little of real substance.”
Some countries, including the U.S., Britain, Brazil, Japan, and Canada, delivered new climate plans. However, U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement, plans to roll back Biden-era climate policies. Trump also paused federal clean energy investments, signalling a shift from previous commitments.
U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged the missed deadline but expressed optimism, explaining that many countries continue working on their plans. “Nations take this seriously, especially with $2 trillion invested globally in clean energy last year,” Stiell said. “Taking a bit more time to finalise these plans makes sense.”
However, delays have raised concerns that climate action may lose momentum, notably after Trump reversed the U.S. climate policy stance. European Union climate chief Wopke Hoekstra explained that the bloc’s policymaking cycle did not align with the U.N. deadline but promised the EU’s plan would be ready for the COP30 summit in November.
According to a government official, India, the world’s third-largest carbon emitter, has not completed the studies needed for its climate plan. China, the top emitter, stated it would release its plan “in due course.” Other major polluters, including Indonesia, Iran, Russia, and South Africa, have also failed to submit targets, offering no clear timeline for completion.
Delays from these key nations set back global efforts to keep warming within safe limits. Experts warn that without more substantial commitments, the goal of preventing catastrophic climate impacts remains at risk.
In 2023, the world’s first breach of the 1.5-degree threshold signalled the urgent need for drastic emissions cuts. Despite the $2 trillion invested in clean energy last year, progress remains slow, with major polluting nations trailing behind. The missed U.N. deadline adds to growing concerns that political priorities have shifted away from urgent climate action.