G20 Countries Have Submitted Climate Progress Reports for the First Time. Are They Delivering?

Globally, climate action is falling short — and following through on promises has never mattered more.

Last year, more than 137 countries submitted their new national climate commitments (formally called nationally determined contributions or NDCs) setting plans to cut harmful climate emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, these efforts still leave the world dramatically short, closing less than 6% of what’s needed to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F), to prevent the world from experiencing the most dangerous consequences of climate change.

That gap is troubling enough, but there is another more urgent question: Are countries delivering on their earlier commitments which set 2030 targets as part of their initial NDCs submitted in 2020-2021? If major economies can't show credible follow-through on those pledges, how can we be confident these new commitments — which aim to reduce emissions by 2035 — be met?

To answer this question, WRI analyzed progress G20 countries are making toward their mitigation targets using the biennial transparency reports (BTR) that countries are required to submit as part of their commitment to the Paris Agreement. As major economies spanning across developed and developing countries, the G20 is responsible for more than three-fourths of annual global emissions — meaning their progress will largely influence whether the world meets its climate goals.