6 November 2025

Belem, Brazil

Reactions from DCJ members

Ten years since signing of the Paris Agreement — and only two weeks before convening its COP30 in Belem, Brazil — the UNFCCC’s own assessment of countries’ collective pledges for climate action reflect today’s record inequality. A global economic elite is benefiting more than ever from burning the fossil fuels that warm our planet while the vast majority of humanity — particularly in the Global South — is bearing the burden of rising temperatures, sea levels and mounting material costs. True, governments are beginning to reduce deadly greenhouse gas emissions but they are still too far off track from their agreed targets to avoid catastrophic climate change, due mainly to the failure of a few countries who got right first by burning fossil fuels to now do their fair share of the global effort. Since 2015 in Paris, many developing countries have submitted Nationally Determined Contributions that deliver their fair share while we see pathetic pledges and implementation by the wealthiest countries who have done by far the most to create today’s crisis and have the most capacity to pay for others’ transitions. Two of the top emitters exemplify the extreme inequality of effort, with the United States once again withdrawing from the Paris Agreement while the European Union has yet to even submit its NDC. Together with their flimsy provision of finance and technology to support developing countries’ actions per their Paris Agreement commitments, what has been called a “gap” in reduced emissions is now a gulf. 

Quotes

Meena Raman, Head of Programs, Third World Network

Short quote: What we see in this report is a result of the US’s exit from the Paris Agreement and its bullying of other countries including developing countries to import more fossil fuels through the tariff deals wreaks havoc on the ambition of countries to stay the course for climate action.

Long quote: It is clear that with the US exit from the Paris Agreement and its bullying of other countries including developing countries to import more fossil fuels through the tariff deals wreaks havoc on the ambition of countries to stay the course for climate action. When the biggest historical and current per capita emitter reneges on its obligations, it throws the world into climate chaos. To add salt to wounds, many of the developed world NDCs are premised on false solutions like reliance on carbon credits and offsets instead of decarbonising. Also the NDCs of developed countries are unambitious as they are not consistent with a fair shares approach where there is continued overuse of whatever remaining carbon budget for limiting temperature rise under the Paris goals. Also, many NDCs of developing countries reflect the clear need for delivery of climate finance by developed countries and technology transfer, which is not forthcoming in terms of adequacy given the scale of resources needed. Unless real international cooperation exists and the Paris obligations are honoured, there will be no climate justice and equity. In fact, given the backtracking of the Global North on doing their fair share of the emission cuts and for fair finance, the poor in the Global South will continue to face the wrath of climate disasters and suffering.

Lidy Nacpil, Coordinator, Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development

Short quote: The Synthesis Report proves that the nationally determined approach to climate action is failing. This approach allows rich, polluting governments to define their targets with no regard for science, the 1.5C goal, or the principle of equity and fair shares. 

Long quote: The Synthesis Report proves that the nationally determined approach to climate action is failing. This approach allows rich, polluting governments to define their targets with no regard for science, the 1.5C goal, or the principle of equity and fair shares. The mitigation targets in the report fall drastically short of what is needed, with no mention of the Global North’s obligation to provide climate finance. Without emissions cuts based on fair shares and the provision of climate finance from the North, the climate plans of the South will be futile and governments will fail to tackle the defining crisis of our time.

Kirtana Chandresekaren, Climate Justice & Energy Program Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International

Short quote: Ten years after the Paris Agreement we see rich countries missing the mark in their NDCs (with some not even bothering to submit them) and falling far short of the emissions reductions and climate finance needed to address the climate crisis and bring about the just people-centred energy transformation we need. This really is a race to the bottom by those most responsible for causing climate change.

Long quote: The revised targets put forward by rich countries are pathetically weak and riddled with false solutions. Even as climate disasters like Hurricane Melissa pulverise the Global South, these NDCs illustrate just how much even the pretence of ambition has dwindled in the Global North. Only 64 countries have even submitted NDCs with the EU a notable absence. Trump’s climate denialism and cheerleading of big oil are fuelling the fire of this race to the bottom. While the majority of Global South countries who have put forward NDCs have made pledges close to, or exceeding their fair share of climate action, this is not enough without the Global North doing their fair share and without them providing the massive public finance needed to drive a just and equitable energy transition in the Global South.

Victor Menotti, US Coordinator, Global Campaign to Demand Climate Justice (DCJ)

Short quote: NDC Synthesis shares some shocking data but doesn’t tell the whole story, or explain why we are in today’s scary situation: by including the US NDC and not any EU NDC, the report conceals the Global North’s failure to do their fair share, enabling their escape from any accountability.

Long quote: The NDC Synthesis report shares some shocking data but fails to tell the whole story or explain why we are in today’s scary situation. The report includes the US NDC submitted by the Biden Administration that has been taken backwards by Trump’s, and does not include any EU NDC because they have yet to submit one, so we are left with a misleading picture that ignores non-compliance by the largest historical emitters who have the greatest capacity to pay. North America has 4% of the global population but 24% of global emissions since 1850, whereas South Asia’s 25% of the global population is responsible for only 4% of global emissions. Even China’s ranking as by far today’s top annual emitter leaves it with only half the historical emissions of the US, although China has four times the US population. No one points out that we are way off track due to failure of the Global North to due its fair share of global climate action. We will continue to hurtle towards catastrophe unless they lead an equitable phase out of fossil fuels and provide the public financing and safe technology rightfully demanded by the Global South.

Hailey Campbell, Executive Director, NDC Equity Tracker/Care About Climate

Short quote: The NDC Synthesis featured children and youth for the first time. Nearly 50% reflect the vulnerability of children and youth to climate change, yet they remain abandoned in the commitments. Without ambition that keeps 1.5 degrees within reach and delivery of climate finance for implementation, children and young people’s futures remain at jeopardy.

Long quote: Everyone at Care About Climate were children when the Paris Agreement was signed. We are part of an entire generation that’s grown up watching the gap between promises and action widen. We’ve seen growth in renewable energy, slow increases in climate finance, and more awareness than ever. But progress has been too slow, and in some cases, like the delivery of low ambition NDCs that countries have known were due for years, completely inadequate. Delays now mean even worse disasters later, especially for children and young people in the Global South. That’s not a world we want to live in.