Global climate action faces decisive days

IT IS a truism that every month, let alone year, is key in the fight against climate change. However, the next few weeks ahead of the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan and G20 leadership summit in Brazil will do much more than most, to determine the remaining success or failure of the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement.

The reasons these events are so important is that they will shape the all-important context for all countries submitting new national targets to cut emissions of greenhouse gases in the coming months, ahead of COP30 in Brazil in November 2025.

This process will be critical, as there is a need for many countries to put forward much greater ambition in this round of proposed emission reduction goals, if the world is going to get anywhere close to meeting the Paris goals. Indeed, this procedure might be the last, best chance to get on a trajectory that is compliant with the ambition set out in 2015.