From Drumbeating to Marching: Assessing Non-State and Subnational Climate Action

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute examines the role of non-state actors (NSAs) and subnational governments in climate action following the 2015 Paris Agreement, arguing for more robust accountability frameworks and refined reporting mechanisms to prevent greenwashing and better integrate NSA efforts with national goals.

• There is a critical need for a robust accountability framework for non-state actors (NSAs) to address concerns regarding "greenwashing," which involves making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of companies, services, or products.
• The UN's proposed Non-Party Accountability and Recognition Framework creates a two-track reporting system that may complicate the integration of NSA actions with national governments' reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement and the updating of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
• To improve the tracking of climate action, the Global Stocktake (GST) should shift its measurement approach to include contextual parameters such as types of actions, actors, and geographies, moving beyond simple emission numbers to include inputs (targets, financing), outputs (policies, investment), outcomes (behavioral change), and impacts (social and environmental indicators).

APA

NewClimate Institute (2023). From Drumbeating to Marching: Assessing Non-State and Subnational Climate Action. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/from-drumbeating-to-marching-assessing-non-state-and-subnational-climate

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. From Drumbeating to Marching: Assessing Non-State and Subnational Climate Action. 2023. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/from-drumbeating-to-marching-assessing-non-state-and-subnational-climate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=From Drumbeating to Marching: Assessing Non-State and Subnational Climate Action |date=16 September 2023 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/from-drumbeating-to-marching-assessing-non-state-and-subnational-climate |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2023from, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{From Drumbeating to Marching: Assessing Non-State and Subnational Climate Action}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/from-drumbeating-to-marching-assessing-non-state-and-subnational-climate}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }