Jakarta – A new report from Carbon Brief reveals that only 13 of the 195 signatories to the Paris Agreement submitted their Second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UN on time by February 10, 2023. The laggards represent 83 per cent of global emissions and nearly 80 per cent of the world economy.
In a speech on February 6, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said that most countries are still drafting their NDC plans.
Simon Stiell urges nations to ensure quality climate plans to reap economic rewards
“Taking a bit more time to ensure these plans are first-rate makes sense, properly outlining how they will contribute to this effort and therefore what rewards they will reap,” Simon Stiell said.
According to Carbon Brief, Canada, Japan, and Indonesia have announced draft versions of their 2035 climate plans but have yet to submit them to the UN. Some developed countries such as the US, UK and Brazil have announced their latest climate commitments. This is despite US President Donald Trump declaring on his first day of inauguration, January 20, that he would withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Stiell said the Second NDC should be submitted by early September before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Brazil. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, aims to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. However, the realisation of emission reduction is still far from the target. The year 2024 is even recorded as the hottest year, with an average temperature increase of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Experts said that in addition to accelerating the submission of NDCs, ratifying countries must ensure that the pledges they make are not only ambitious but also accompanied by concrete policies that can be implemented immediately. The active involvement of civil society and international diplomatic pressure is crucial in ensuring that countries commit to the emission reductions they have agreed to in the Paris Agreement. (Hartatik)
