UAE One of Just 13 Countries to Hit Global Warming Deadline

The UAE is one of just 13 nations worldwide to meet a key United Nations deadline for submitting new climate targets.

Under the Paris Agreement, nearly 200 countries were required to submit enhanced plans by February 10^th 2025 outlining how they would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.

However, only the UAE, along with the US, UK, Brazil, Ecuador, Saint Lucia, New Zealand, Andorra, Switzerland, Singapore, Zimbabwe, Marshall Islands, and Uruguay responded by the deadline.

The US submission is largely symbolic, as it was made before President Donald Trump ordered Washington’s withdrawal from the Paris deal.

These plans — officially called Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs — are the main mechanism of the 2015 international agreement.

Every five years, nations are supposed to come up with new and stronger five-year plans that outline their voluntary plans to limit or reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.

Most important policy documents of this century

UN climate chief Simon Stiell has called these latest pledges ‘the most important policy documents of this century’, but top industrialised nations — including China and members of  the European Union — were absent from the list.

The International Institute for Environment and Development is an independent sustainability consultancy. Its climate diplomacy researcher Camilla More said: ‘At a time of accelerating global warming, the need for swift and bold action is more important than ever. So, it’s disappointing that only a handful of countries have submitted updated climate targets.

‘The world can’t afford to delay any further. That’s why this round of climate targets is critical in changing the course of global efforts to combat climate change.

‘Several countries have indicated they will submit updated plans later this year. It’s vital that each country’s target represents their fair share of what’s needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C. That means slashing emissions and scaling up climate finance.

‘Regardless of what some politicians might say, it doesn’t change the fact that the climate crisis is already wreaking economic havoc around the world. And the cost of inaction is only going to rise. There remains overwhelming public support for climate action. Yet some political leaders are continuing to act as handbrakes to that ambition.’

Countries missing the deadline represent 83 per cent of global emissions and nearly 80 per cent of the world’s economy. They cited technical issues, economic pressures and political uncertainty as reasons why they have not been able to meet the UN request.

According to the most recent UN report, countries remain largely off track for meeting the Paris goals, with 2035 climate pledges needing to deliver a ‘quantum leap in ambition’ to give the world a chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial age levels.

There is no formal penalty for late submissions, but the pledges serve as an accountability measure, signalling governmental commitment to tackling climate change.

A spokeswoman for the EU said the 27-nation bloc intends to submit its revised targets well ahead of the upcoming UN COP30 summit, scheduled for November in Brazil.

Analysts also expect China — the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases but also its top investor in renewable energy—to unveil its climate plan in the second half of the year.

Stiell added there was still plenty of time for countries to submit plans.

He explained: ‘Already we’ve seen several major economies — including Brazil and the UK among others — send clear signals they are stepping up climate action by submitting bold new national climate plans, because it’s entirely in the interests of their economies and their citizens.

 ‘At the latest though, the secretariat team needs to have them on their desks by September to include them in the NDC Synthesis Report, which will come out before the COP.’