UN: latest national climate pledges would cut 2035 emissions 6%, a tenth of what is needed

Mixed · 2A UN report published on 27 October 2026 said the latest climate pledges from nations would cut global greenhouse gas emissions by just 6% by 2035, weeks before the COP31 talks in Turkey. 1 2 Mixed · 2That is about a tenth of the roughly 60% reduction from 2019 levels that scientists say is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. 1 2 Mixed · 2The report by UN Climate Change synthesises the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of 154 countries, received between January 2024 and August 2026 and covering 71% of global emissions. NDCs are obligatory submissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement. 1 2

Mixed · 2If countries fully implemented their plans and also met their conditional targets, the cuts would still amount to only 9%. 1 2 Mixed · 2The 6% figure is significantly lower than the UN's 2025 estimate of a 10% cut by 2035. The articles say that earlier estimate was made before many NDCs had been submitted, so the UN had to model the missing pledges, and before the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement. 1 2 Mixed · 2Under President Donald Trump, the US has left the Paris Agreement for a second time and is pursuing policies that heavily favour fossil fuels. 1 2

Mixed · 2UN climate chief Simon Stiell said in a statement that COP31, with its focus on practical measures to support greater implementation, "can help address some of the key gaps". 1 2 Mixed · 2The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that emissions need to fall 60% from 2019 levels by 2035 to give a reasonable chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C by 2100. For pathways below 2°C, the Paris Agreement's fallback goal, they would need to fall 37% by 2035. 1 2 Mixed · 2The world has already warmed roughly 1.4°C relative to pre-industrial times, and crossing 1.5°C is expected within years. Scientists warn that each additional fraction of a degree above 1.5°C increases extreme weather and the likelihood of irreversible changes such as dying coral reefs and melting permafrost. Last week, the UN Environment Programme found that current commitments put the world on course for 2.6°C of warming this century. 1 2

Mixed · 2A second UN report released the same day found that climate finance is rising but remains far short of what is required. Global climate finance flows averaged US$1.9 trillion a year in 2023 and 2024, up 32% on 2021 and 2022, driven largely by private investment in low-emission technology and household purchases of electric vehicles and heat pumps. 1 2