Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Paris Agreement Turning Point

The Climate Action Tracker reports that net zero pledges announced by November 2020 could limit global warming to 2.1°C by 2100, though current policies still track 0.8°C higher than this optimistic target. While the Paris Agreement has driven a 0.7°C decrease in real-world emissions projections since 2015, the report emphasizes that governments must strengthen 2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and implementation plans to bridge the remaining gap to 1.5°C.

• Net zero pledges announced as of November 2020 could potentially limit global warming by 2100 to as low as 2.1°C. China's September 2020 announcement to reach carbon neutrality before 2060 alone reduces this estimate by 0.2 to 0.3°C, and a proposed 2050 carbon neutrality target for the USA would further reduce warming by 0.1°C.
• There is a significant gap between net zero targets and current government policies; existing policies place the world on a warming trajectory 0.8°C higher than the optimistic net zero assessment. As of November 2020, no large emitter had submitted a substantially updated NDC since the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• Real-world emissions projections for end-of-century warming have decreased by 0.7°C over the last five years, falling from 3.6°C in 2015 to 2.9°C in 2020. This decline is primarily attributed to new policies, increased renewable energy use, reduced coal use, and lower economic growth assumptions.
• The overall temperature estimate for targets and pledges has fallen by 1.4°C through Paris pledges. The Climate Action Tracker's estimate has dropped from 3.5°C in 2009 to 2.6°C as of November 2020.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2020). Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Paris Agreement Turning Point. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-action-tracker-global-update-paris-agreement-turning-point

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Paris Agreement Turning Point. 2020. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-action-tracker-global-update-paris-agreement-turning-point.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Paris Agreement Turning Point |date=1 December 2020 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-action-tracker-global-update-paris-agreement-turning-point |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2020climate, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Paris Agreement Turning Point}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-action-tracker-global-update-paris-agreement-turning-point}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }