Why the outcomes from climate meetings need to become more concrete

With the 30th global climate meeting coming up next year in Brazil, the time is ripe for the global community to reflect on how far we’ve come since the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015, and what more needs to be done. Our latest Sustainability Trends Report considers the progress made and what needs to happen next.

As the Paris Agreement on Climate Change nears its tenth anniversary, the goals set within it are hanging by a thread.

Countries have failed to deliver on many of their climate promises, putting global climate goals at risk. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated – ambitious plans are no longer enough. What we need now is action and accountability.

And that’s easier to say than to implement.

As long as there is no specified mechanism for accountability in global climate action, commitments remain voluntary and rely on voters in democratic countries to hold their governments accountable.

By early 2025, new national climate plans are expected, with ratification likely at the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Brazil. This moment will be pivotal for global climate policy, providing an opportunity to ensure plans are not only ambitious but also actionable and rigorously monitored.

Here are four things we would like to see:

1. Stronger emissions reduction targets.
2. An accelerated phase-out of fossil fuels.
3. More financial support for nations that contributed the least to climate change but are most affected by it.
4. Stringent mechanisms for measuring, reporting and verifying emissions reductions and climate actions.

Nations must be held accountable for their climate commitments, and citizens must continue to pressure their governments to deliver on these promises.

Businesses, too, are facing increasing scrutiny. Mandatory climate impact reporting is on the rise, which, if done correctly, can bridge the gap between pledges and performance.

We all have a duty to ensure climate plans result in real, measurable change.

The time for promises without action is over. Success depends on collaborative and transparent efforts from nations, businesses and individuals.

More specific outcomes from meetings would provide clearer policy signals and create a more favourable environment for sustainable investments – providing a platform to move on from the broken promises of Paris.

Read more about this and how we can drive meaningful progress toward a sustainable future in our latest Sustainability Trends Report.