Next Generation NDCs

In 2025, countries are due to unveil new national climate commitments, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). NDCs are the main vehicle for countries to collectively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and halt climate change. They form the foundation of the Paris Agreement, establishing targets that countries promise to implement and be measured against as they work toward global goals to limit temperature rise and build resilience to climate impacts.

The Paris Agreement requires Parties to put forward new NDCs every five years. Each round of commitments must be stronger than the last.

Why It's Crucial for Countries to Submit Ambitious NDCs in 2025

Under the Paris Agreement, countries agreed to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and ideally 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) — limits scientists say can avert increasingly widespread and devastating climate impacts. At the time, the world was on track for nearly 4 degrees C (7.2 degrees F) of warming. Thanks to previous NDCs and countries’ efforts to implement them, we’re now on track for about 3 degrees C (5.4 degrees F).

While this marks undeniable progress, 3 degrees C of warming is still exceedingly dangerous. And recent research shows that climate impacts are already happening faster and with more severe consequences than previously thought. This underscores the urgent need to slash emissions, scale up adaptation efforts and significantly increase investment in climate action.

The 2025 NDC cycle offers a chance to get the world on a safer path at the pace needed. This new round of NDCs will set emissions-reduction targets through 2035 — the mid-point between when most countries started implementing their NDCs in 2020 and when many have pledged to reach net zero, in 2050. This makes the new commitments crucial for aligning short-term actions with long-term goals.

New NDCs are also meant to reflect the outcomes of the 2023 Global Stocktake from COP28, which urged countries to shift away from fossil fuels, scale up renewable energy, deploy zero-emissions vehicles and more.

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