Accelerating climate impacts, decelerating climate action

In 2023, the impacts of climate change have been dramatic worldwide. The Earth experienced the hottest three-month period on record, with unprecedented surface temperatures and extreme weather events such as heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes.

Yet, national climate actions across the countries that produce nearly two thirds of total greenhouse gas emissions only increased by 1% on average in 2022. This is the lowest annual growth recorded since 2000. By contrast, between 2000 and 2021, national climate policy action increased by an average of 10% a year, as tracked by the IPAC Climate Actions and Policies Measurement Framework (CAPMF).  

Countries still have multiple options to increase the stringency of existing policies or adopt new policies that are currently not widely used (e.g., carbon pricing in the building and transport sector, bans and phase-outs of fossil fuel extraction or fossil-based infrastructure).  

However, while the energy crisis provided further impetus for countries to adopt more ambitious targets on renewables and energy efficiency and to accelerate implementation, it also delayed or postponed planned climate actions such as carbon pricing and the phase-out of fossil fuel infrastructure. Geopolitical and macroeconomic shocks led some governments to backtrack on climate action. Countries ramped up fossil fuel support to new record levels, reaching over USD 1 000 billion in 2022.

Achieving the 1.5°C temperature goal would require OECD member and partner countries to commit to an additional aggregate emission reduction of around 30% of their current nationally determined contribution targets by 2030. A total of 104 countries and the European Union have adopted or proposed net-zero targets, however only 26 countries and the EU (27 in total), representing 16% of global emissions, have enshrined their targets in their laws.

More ambitious mitigation targets and effective implementation will be key, as well as navigating the policy landscape.

Explore the Climate Action Monitor 2023