Browse publications

This is the 2023 edition of the UNEP Emissions Gap Report series, which tracks our progress in limiting global warming well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C in line with the Paris Agreement.

This report assesses the G20 members’ long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LTS) to identify commonalities, opportunities for international cooperation, and gaps that can be addressed in future LTS submissions.

This primer explores the relevance of the high-hanging fruit of climate change mitigation projects and the role that voluntary climate finance can play to support these projects.

Assessing the status and trends of net zero target setting across countries, sub-national governments and companies

In this Science article, the authors researchers ranked 90% of global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions pledges as providing low confidence in their full implementation.

The second iteration of the Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor, conducted by NewClimate Institute in collaboration with Carbon Market Watch, assesses the climate strategies of 24 major global companies.

Evaluating how regions, cities and large companies are tracking against the recent UN Expert Group's recommendations on the net zero targets of non-state entities.

New Climate Action Tracker analysis finds that the goldrush for gas continues and is counterproductive to the Paris Agreement.

NewClimate Institute led the analysis in Chapter 5.3 of the report on the status quo of corporate net-zero target setting. Based on a review of recently published literature, the analysis finds that existing corporate net-zero targets typically suffer from a lack of ambition and have other severe shortcomings.

In this publication, we scrutinise the climate pledges of leading corporations active in the Netherlands. We review the targets and actions of 29 companies: eight financial institutions and 21 businesses with their main activities in the ‘real economy’.

Assesses the climate strategies of 25 major global companies. It critically analyses the extent to which they demonstrate corporate climate leadership.

This is the twelfth edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report. It assesses the gap between estimated future global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if countries implement their climate mitigation pledges and the global emission levels from least-cost pathways that are aligned with achieving the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. This difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be” has become known as the ‘emissions gap’. The report also examines further areas that are highly relevant for bridging the gap: updated NDCs and Net...

This article published in "Nature Climate Change" analyses the recent wave of national net zero targets showing that there is significant momentum which could bring the temperature limit of the Paris Agreement within reach. Summary: A total of 131 countries are discussing, have announced, or have adopted net zero targets, covering 72% of global emissions. National net zero emission targets could, if fully implemented, substantially lower projected temperature increase compared to currently implemented policies (2.9–3.2 °C) or pledges submitted to the Paris Agreement (2.4–2.9 °C). While being a...

In these briefings, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) introduces its new rating methodology, which now rates more elements than before – mitigation targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), policies and action, and climate finance. We’ve also added a methodology for assessing net zero targets. These briefings provides an overview of the development in climate action over the last year and illustrates the new CAT assessment of the countries we analyse, based on our updated method. Summary Code red: The new IPCC report on climate science has reinforced the absolute urgency of closing...

As part of the Paris Agreement, countries are mandated to update and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years — increasing their ambition with every cycle. The first round of NDCs were submitted starting in 2015 as intended nationally determined contributions and countries have submitted or are finalizing their updates for the new cycle in 2020/2021. The purpose of this report was to develop a methodology to systematically assess the design of NDCs and to apply it to 20 NDCs. Main findings: While there are several tools that analyze NDCs, they are comprehensive...