Why it’s time to put scientific guidance at the heart of climate policy

The author asserts that global warming has reached the 1.5°C threshold, making the current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) insufficient as they lead toward more than 2.5°C warming. To address this, the document proposes the establishment of a Science Panel on the Global Energy Transition (SPGET) to provide decision-makers with rapid-response, evidence-based policy frameworks and milestones for mitigation. This proposal follows efforts from COP30 in Belém to shift from negotiating commitments to implementing a global energy transition and halting deforestation by 2030.

• Current global climate pledges are insufficient; if all Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are implemented, the world is on track for global warming exceeding 2.5°C.
• The document identifies four critical factors determining whether the world can return to below 1.5°C: the speed of reaching net-zero emissions (requiring a near-complete fossil fuel phase-out by mid-century and annual reductions of at least 5%), the transformation of agriculture and land use into a net greenhouse gas sink, the scale of carbon dioxide removal, and the protection of natural carbon sinks in oceans and terrestrial ecosystems.
• The proposed Science Panel on the Global Energy Transition (SPGET) would serve as a rapid-response, policy-focused resource to provide year-by-year mitigation milestones for the next 5-10 years and develop policy mixes, regulations, and financial arrangements to accelerate the energy transition.
• Following COP30 in Belém, Colombia and the Netherlands have offered to host a ministerial meeting in April 2026 to convene a coalition of countries committed to a 1.5°C-aligned global energy transition.

APA

Rockström, C. A. N. J. (2026). Why it’s time to put scientific guidance at the heart of climate policy. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/climate-policy-scientific-roadmap/

Chicago

Rockström, Carlos Afonso Nobre, Johan. Why it’s time to put scientific guidance at the heart of climate policy. World Economic Forum, 2026. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/climate-policy-scientific-roadmap/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rockström |first1=Carlos Afonso Nobre, Johan |title=Why it’s time to put scientific guidance at the heart of climate policy |publisher=World Economic Forum |date=16 January 2026 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/climate-policy-scientific-roadmap/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rockstrm2026why, author = {Rockström, Carlos Afonso Nobre, Johan}, title = {{Why it’s time to put scientific guidance at the heart of climate policy}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/climate-policy-scientific-roadmap/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }