New Climate Pledges Need both Ambition and Implementation
Next week, world leaders will gather in Baku to discuss climate commitments and chart our next steps. The science is clear: if we want a liveable planet, global warming needs to be limited as much and as urgently as possible. Limiting global warming to 1.5C is still just about possible. But our collective ability to meet this target depends on three key issues: ambition, finance and action. In a year of records globally, as droughts, wildfires, heatwaves, storms and heavy rain wreak havoc, threatening lives, livelihoods and our biodiversity, the stakes are high. But this is not all doom and gloom. Solutions exist. And so does, on paper at least, a determination to tackle the climate crisis. But we need to . Now. The big emitters - including those from G20 - must shoulder the main responsibility. But cutting emissions and adapting to a changing climate is on every countrys tasklist. The next months are crucial. Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, countries are working on climate action plans, the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Current plans, , are far from what the world needs. So we need to raise ambition, and turn these plans into blueprints for stronger economies and societies. Because decarbonising economies, cutting emissions and building resilience to climate impacts, are profoundly positive. Finance is rightly a key focus. A key goal of COP29 is to agree on a new financial target to support developing countries after 2025. Developing countries need trillions of dollars to support their mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage efforts. But as the highlights, "ambition means nothing without action". Success depends on raising ambition and finance, but also on understanding and addressing implementation gaps. When it comes to translating climate goals into action, we see familiar challenges. Political will. Capacity gaps, in finance, human resources, skills and knowledge. Inadequate data systems. An ability to incentivise and bring in private sector support. And challenges in joining the dots, connecting decisions, policies and actions at local, sectoral, national and international levels. Success when countries adopt a holistic approach, which considers that economic development and climate action go hand in hand. Success comes when countries think long-term, beyond political cycles. When climate is linked to broader development targets. When decisions are backed by sound data. When national, sectoral, and local strategies are aligned, realistic and transparent. And where all stakeholders have a sense of ownership. And above all, success relies on partnerships that enable joint action. Tripling renewable power generation capacity and doubling energy efficiency are key to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. UNOPS - the organization that I lead - supports to decarbonise the building and construction sector, as part of the , together with the UN Environment programme, UN-Habitat and others. This is a very high-emitting sector, which in 2021 around 37% of energy and process-related CO2 emissions and over 34% of energy demand globally. Yet buildings and their emissions are currently largely absent from countries NDCs. We work with countries such as , Ghana, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Burkina Faso to help them develop roadmaps to plan their new NDC objectives and identify required actions. Our focus is to help make these plans practical and inclusive. The bottomline is: every fraction of a degree of warming matters, for lives, for livelihoods and for our planet. We need fast, fair and determined action to cut emissions and build resilience. Finance and policy are key but ultimately, its countries willingness - and capacity to implement that can make or break our ability to keep alive the 1.5 degree target.