Amsterdam, 10 February 2025 – Some of the world's biggest emitters have missed the deadline for submitting a 2035 climate action plan to the United Nations ahead of this year's pivotal COP30 climate summit in Brazil.
Tracy Carty, Climate Politics Expert at Greenpeace International, said:
"Record temperatures, storms and wildfires are a clear memo: the worsening climate crisis will not wait or pause its disastrous impact as nations delay their action plans.
We've still got a real chance of staving off the worst climate impacts, but that demands strong 1.5°C-aligned emission reduction targets and plans, including policies to phase out fossil fuels. A year after multiple elections and transitioning governments, climate leadership is needed now!
But where's the urgency? Some of the world's largest economies and biggest emitters are missing in action.
Ten years after the Paris Agreement and the past 10 years have been the world's hottest. We're heading in the wrong direction while the oil and gas polluters continue to bank mega profits.
"There is no time to waste. Lack of climate action is costing lives! Governments must face reality and stand with the people demanding change. The economic benefits of clean energy are clear, the transition is accelerating but businesses need government guidance on future policy."
Shefali Sharma, global campaigner for agriculture at Greenpeace Germany, said:
"Rapidly cutting emissions from the agricultural sector, including methane emissions and the sector's associated land use change emissions, would have an immediate impact in slowing down the global temperature increases and give us a fighting chance to meet the Paris Agreement's goals given methane's 12 year lifespan.
Livestock production is the leading cause of food system emissions and it's critical that the next round of NDCs takes binding and radical action through enacting a time-bound bottom-up shift from industrial meat and dairy production to agroecology, helping us to restore ecosystems and build resilience against the escalating climate crisis."
Zhe Yao, Global Policy Advisor at Greenpeace East Asia, said:
"Missing the deadline will raise concern that climate continues to slip down China's political agenda. China's submission will happen later this year, and it's time for a change of mindset. Setting new climate targets is not just a responsibility, it's an opportunity to develop new economies and provide security for everyday people.
An ambitious climate plan from China for 2035 must include both a strong commitment to renewables and clear measures to move away from coal. It should be seen as a plan to unlock greater development potential, show Beijing's partners in Europe and around the world real leadership as a champion of multilateralism, and to protect people from the intensifying climate risks."
