The impacts of climate change continued to be felt this year. Increasing global average temperatures are intensifying climate-related hazards and risks, resulting in significant and unpredictable outcomes, moving us closer to potentially crossing irreversible climate tipping points. Countries have an opportunity to address this challenge, by implementing comprehensive and ambitious commitments in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions in February 2025.
The findings in this edition of the International Programme for Action on Climate (IPAC) Climate Action Monitor show that current commitments have not been matched with effective action. The OECD’s Climate Action Policy Measurement Framework (CAPMF) shows that climate policy action, measured as a combination of policy adoption and stringency, expanded by 10% on average each year over the 2010-2021 period. In 2022 and 2023, this expansion slowed to 1% and 2% respectively. More effective, robust climate policies are needed.
Current greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets, even if fully implemented, are not ambitious enough to achieve the reductions necessary to achieve the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals. To limit the rise in average global temperature to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that a 43% reduction in global emissions is needed by 2030. Greater ambition must also be matched with a better coordinated approach to ensure the sustainable transition is both globally effective and fair.
This year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP29) is an opportunity to enhance ambition and enable climate action. Building on the OECD’s multidisciplinary expertise, IPAC contributes to global climate action by providing comparable and harmonised information to monitor national and global climate action. Towards this, the Climate Action Monitor provides key indicators related to GHG emissions trajectories and targets, trends in climate-related hazards, and progress on global climate action.
Enhanced climate ambition and action, underpinned by sound tracking of commitments and progress, will be essential to achieving our climate goals, and ultimately enabling a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. The OECD will continue to actively support this effort through our data and analysis.
Mathias Cormann,
OECD Secretary-General