Global Climate Action Falling Dangerously Short of Paris Agreement Targets, Analysis Reveals

Climate Progress “Alarmingly Inadequate” Worldwide

The global response to climate change is progressing at an “alarmingly inadequate” pace, according to a major new analysis from Systems Change Lab. The State of Climate Action 2025 report reveals that none of the 45 indicators tracking climate progress are on course to meet their 2030 targets established under the Paris Agreement.

Climate Progress “Alarmingly Inadequate” Worldwide
Comprehensive Assessment Shows Widespread Shortfalls
Bright Spots Amid Concerning Trends
Coal Dependency Remains Critical Concern
Urgent Acceleration Needed

Comprehensive Assessment Shows Widespread Shortfalls

Sources indicate that while most indicators are moving in the right direction, the speed of change remains insufficient across the board. The analysis categorizes progress as “promising, albeit too slow” for just six indicators, while another 29 are advancing well below the required pace. Alarmingly, five indicators are headed in the wrong direction entirely, demanding urgent course correction, and the remaining five lack sufficient data for proper assessment.

According to the report, one of the most significant downgrades involves electric vehicle adoption. Previously the only indicator considered “on track,” EV sales growth has now been downgraded to “off track” due to slowing momentum in major markets like Europe and the United States, despite reaching a record 22% of global passenger car sales in 2024.

Bright Spots Amid Concerning Trends

Analysts suggest some positive developments offer glimmers of hope. Private climate finance has been upgraded from “well off track” to just “off track” after climbing from approximately $870 billion in 2022 to a record $1.3 trillion in 2023. The report states that individuals, businesses, and investors—particularly in China and Western Europe—drove much of this growth.

The analysis also highlights that the global share of electricity from solar and wind has more than tripled since 2015, with solar power becoming the fastest-growing energy source in history. Emerging technologies that were merely conceptual a decade ago, such as green hydrogen and technological carbon dioxide removal, could approach mainstream breakthrough with appropriate support, according to researchers.

Coal Dependency Remains Critical Concern

During an online press conference, Clea Schumer, research associate at World Resources Institute and co-lead author, emphasized that while “we are largely doing the right things, we are just not moving fast enough.” She noted that although coal’s share of global electricity generation dropped slightly in 2024, total coal use reached record levels due to growing electricity demand.

“The trouble here is that a power system that relies on fossil fuels has huge, knock-on effects,” Schumer explained. “Decarbonizing buildings, industry, and transport all depend on a decarbonized power grid. The message on this one is crystal clear. We simply will not limit warming to 1.5 degrees if coal use keeps breaking records.”

The report indicates the world needs to phase out coal power generation more than ten times faster than current rates, equivalent to shutting down nearly 360 average-sized coal plants annually and canceling all planned projects.

Urgent Acceleration Needed

Kelly Levin, chief of science, data and systems change at the Bezos Earth Fund, stated during the press conference that while significant progress has occurred over the past decade, it remains “not nearly fast enough for what’s needed for 2030 and beyond.”

Levin added that climate change “continues to march on” as greenhouse gas emissions keep climbing, temperatures rise, and fires devastate homes and ecosystems worldwide. “The question is not whether change can happen, it’s really whether we can make it happen in time,” she concluded.

The report represents a collaborative effort between the Bezos Earth Fund, Climate Analytics, ClimateWorks Foundation, the Climate High-Level Champions, and World Resources Institute, providing one of the most comprehensive assessments of global climate action to date.

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British ministers are accelerating efforts to strengthen EU relations, with new urgency around youth mobility and trade agreements. However, European officials reportedly show less enthusiasm for rapid negotiations amid differing priorities and political considerations.

Britain’s Renewed EU Outreach

According to political analysts, the United Kingdom has significantly intensified its efforts to rebuild relations with the European Union since the Labour government took office. Sources indicate that multiple ministers, including Chancellor Rachel Reeves and EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds, have been emphasizing the economic damage caused by Brexit and pushing for rapid progress in negotiations.