Our topics

Mitigation targets, policies and actions

Tracking, evaluation and support of climate change mitigation policies and actions from a wide range of stakeholders to support ambition-raising efforts.

Tracking climate action

Overview

The Paris Agreement mandates countries to develop, communicate and implement so-called nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in the context of long-term strategies (LTS) towards full decarbonisation of the economy. These in turn require climate policy planning and the implementation of policies, measures and action at national, subnational and sectoral levels.

Importantly, all climate policy efforts should be aligned with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C while securing and safeguarding sustainable development for all. Mainstreaming climate policy and sustainable development goals into national policy frameworks is a huge challenge where countries can benefit from the exchange of good practices and lessons learned from different parts of the globe.

We support ambitious mitigation targets and action through:

  • Supporting the development and revision of NDCs, LTS and climate action plans at national and sectoral levels
  • Formulation of ambitious sectoral transformation strategies and associated policy measures
  • Building institutional structures and capacities for climate policy implementation
  • Tracking and quantifying targets and policies
  • Methods for evaluating net-zero or climate neutrality claims
  • Estimating the impact of climate action on national and global emissions
  • Benchmarks for 1.5°C compatibility on the sector and national level
  • Methods to rate governments’ and other actors’ climate action
Impact of delayed climate action on Germany's transport sector

In May 2024, the German government weakened its climate change law by replacing binding sectoral targets with a flexible mechanism that...

Achieving High-Integrity Voluntary Climate Action (ACHIEVE)

This Horizon Europe research grant project will identify opportunities to strengthen and scale up voluntary climate action, with the...

Strategic Horizon Scanning (Klimascan)

The project commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA...

Delivering the promise of Paris: Roadmap to a safer climate

In the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries agreed to collectively limit the average global temperature increase by the end of the century...

European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO)

The European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) aims to help ensure the EU achieves climate neutrality by providing scientifically...

National 1.5 °C wind and solar benchmarks

A significant amount of GHGs contributing to the climate crisis are emitted from the power sector, through the combustion of fossil...

Tracking the progress of subnational and non-state climate action

Page navigation About the project The consortium Relevant publications About the project CAMDA is a community of data and analytical...

Net Zero Tracker

The Net Zero Tracker is the world’s only open-source independent review of the quantity and quality of net zero targets across...

Horizon 2020 ELEVATE

ELEVATE aims to develop scientific insights to support the preparations of Nationally Determined Contributions and national climate...

The Netherlands’ fair contribution to climate change mitigation

In this project, NewClimate analysed the Netherland’ government’s proposed target pathway of reducing GHG emissions to 55% below 1990...

The bridge to net zero matters more than the destination
Publication date 13 Dec 2024

Acknowledging that the world must reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate change, countries have started setting their...

Climate Change Performance Index 2025
Publication date 20 Nov 2024

No fossil fuel phase-out yet despite rapid renewables growth Each year, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), co-authored by...

Climate Action Tracker Briefing: As the climate crisis worsens, the warming outlook stagnates
Publication date 14 Nov 2024

Despite an escalating climate crisis marked by unprecedented wildfires, storms, floods, and droughts, our annual global temperature...

Global Overview on Inclusion of Non-CO2 Emissions in NDCs
Publication date 11 Nov 2024

As the next cycle of NDCs is approaching, with submissions of updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) expected in early 2025...

The Emissions Gap Report 2024
Publication date 24 Oct 2024

This is the 2024 edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report series, which tracks our progress in...

Methodology Underpinning the State of Climate Action Series: 2024 Update
Publication date 21 Oct 2024

This technical note describes the State of Climate Action series’ methodology for identifying sectors that must transform, translating...

Progress of major emitters towards climate targets | 2024 update
Publication date 16 Oct 2024

To guide efforts in ensuring that countries are on track to achieve the climate goal of the Paris Agreement, we annually evaluate the...

Navigating regenerative agriculture in corporate climate strategies
Publication date 26 Sep 2024

From key emission reduction measure to greenwashing strategy The food and agriculture sector is responsible for approximately a third...

Setting 1.5°C compatible wind and solar targets: Guidance for key countries
Publication date 23 Sep 2024

At COP28, the world committed to tripling renewable capacity by 2030. This represents a key action that governments can take to cut...

Net Zero Stocktake 2024
Publication date 23 Sep 2024

Regional governments key to next round of national carbon-cutting plans As the climate crisis accelerates, the Net Zero Tracker...

Climate Action Tracker's Data Explorer

The Climate Action Tracker's (CAT) Data Explorer is an interactive web-based tool, that allows users to explore CAT data from CAT's...

Climate Policy Database

The Climate Policy Database (CDPB) is an open, collaborative tool to advance the data collection of the implementation status of...

Performance Distribution Tool

The Performance Distribution Tool is an web-based application that was developed to support the first Global Stocktake (GST), which is...

Net Zero Tracker and ChatNetZero

Net Zero Tracker The Net Zero Tracker is the world’s only open-source independent review of the quantity and quality of net zero...

Systems Change Lab data platform

Systems Change Lab is a collaborative initiative designed to spur action at the pace and scale needed to tackle some of the world’s...

Policy impact assessment tool (EV)

The EV policy impact assessment tool allows for the quantification of future share of new Electric Vehicles (EVs) and future share of...

CAAT - Climate Action Aggregation Tool

The ICAT Climate Action Aggregation Tool (CAAT) guides users in a step-by-step process to define a research scope, compile non-state...

Policy impact assessment tool (RE)

The RE policy impact assessment tool allows for the quantification of future share of variable renewables in electricity generation in...

Press release: Climate Change Performance Index 2025
Publication date 20 Nov 2024

No fossil fuel phase-out yet despite rapid renewables growth Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and CAN International publish 20th...

Press release: Climate Action Tracker - As the climate crisis worsens, warming outlook stagnates
Publication date 14 Nov 2024

... Trump policies make only slight increase in warming projections. ... sets out 2035 NDC asks for big emitters and troika. The...

By the Numbers: The Climate Action We Need This Decade
Publication date 05 Nov 2024

By Sophie Boehm, Clea Schumer, Kelly Levin, Joel Jaeger, Judit Hecke , Danial Riaz, Raychel Santo, Katie Lebling, Anna Nilsson , Emily...

Press release: CAT rates COP29 host Azerbaijan's climate action " Critically insufficient"
Publication date 25 Sep 2024

After weakening its updated NDC, removing its 2030 target altogether, and with its pledge to markedly increase fossil fuel production...

From offsetting push to new NDCs: What to watch out for at Climate Week NYC 2024
Publication date 16 Sep 2024

With this summer marking the hottest on record and following a year where the global annual temperature exceeded 1.5˚C, the urgency for...

Press release: CAT guide to a good 2035 NDC target
Publication date 10 Jun 2024

If governments don't strengthen their 2030 targets and fail to substantially increase climate action before 2030, limiting peak global...

Press release - CCPI 2024: Despite boom in renewables: World no closer to Paris climate goals until fossil fuels decline drastically
Publication date 08 Dec 2023

For the 19th time in a row, Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and CAN International publish the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI...

Press release - CAT COP28 briefing
Publication date 05 Dec 2023

Projected warming almost unchanged for two years as governments push false solutions over climate action Despite their promises...

COP28 needs to switch mode from finding the smallest common denominator to achieving what was before unimaginable
Publication date 22 Nov 2023

The 28th Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC (COP) takes place from 30 November - 12 December 2023, at the end of another year of...

Release: State of Climate Action report finds progress lags on every measure except EV sales
Publication date 14 Nov 2023

WASHINGTON (November 14, 2023) – Global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C are failing across the board, with recent progress made on...

COP29: Press conference - Climate Change Performance Index 2025
Venue Natavan, COP29 / online
Date 20 Nov 2024
Start time 09:00 am

At this press conference we released the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is a...

COP29: What we need from the next NDCs
Venue Nasimi Amphitheatre (SPE 5), COP29
Date 18 Nov 2024
Start time 01:00 pm

Insights from the latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report and UNFCCC NDC Synthesis Report This joint UNFCCC and UNEP event featured high-level...

COP29: Social Pressures and Climate Change: Do Climate Targets Reflect a Just Transition?
Venue MedPavilion, COP29 / online
Date 16 Nov 2024
Start time 02:30 pm

Organised by: MedWaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for SCP and The Hot or Cool Institute The work programme on just...

COP29: What we need now and from the next NDCs – Insights from the UNEP Emissions Gap Report
Venue UN Azerbaijan Pavilion, COP29
Date 15 Nov 2024
Start time 12:00 pm

This side event, organised by UNEP and UNEP-CCC, featured technical presentations on the key findings of the Emissions Gap Report 2024...

COP29: NDC ambition and transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner
Venue Side event room 3, COP29
Date 14 Nov 2024
Start time 04:45 pm

The COP 28 Global Stocktake affirmed the need to transition away from fossil fuels. An important way to deliver on the COP 28 decision...

COP29: Just Transition in NDCs and other strategic documents: a catalyst for climate action
Venue NDCP Pavilion, COP29
Date 13 Nov 2024
Start time 03:30 pm

This side event, organised by the Ministry of Environment, Moldova in cooperation with the Energy Community Secretariat and the German...

COP29: Seizing the moment to ratchet net zero ambition
Venue Side event room 6, COP29
Date 13 Nov 2024
Start time 06:30 pm

This side event, organised by the Net Zero Tracker consortium and the Under2 Coalition (The Climate Group), discussed the global net...

COP29: Moving from Pledges to Progress
Venue Climate Hub
Date 13 Nov 2024
Start time 05:30 pm

At the start of COP29, many of us are wondering how we continue to implement the ambitious goals set out under the Paris Agreement at...

Virtual Event: Cities and Buildings in Transition: Systems Change for a Resilient Future
Venue Online
Date 31 Oct 2024
Start time 03:00 pm

Our cities and built environments have profound impacts on people and planet. Where people live and work, how they get from one place...

Virtual Launch: Emissions Gap Report 2024
Venue Online
Date 24 Oct 2024
Start time 04:00 pm

This is the virtual launch event of the 2024 edition of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report series...

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