Paris climate plans’ deadline extension reveals States’ blasé attitude towards climate action

12 January 2025: The deadline for States to submit their national climate plans was extended by the UN climate change body UNFCCC after shockingly few countries filed submissions in time. Only 12 out of the 195 parties to the Paris Agreement had submitted their plans, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), by the original 10 February deadline. Of these, only three were amongst the major polluters of the G20.

Renewed every five years, NDC reporting is a core mechanism of holding States accountable for meeting their legal obligation to reduce climate impacts in line with the Paris Agreement 1.5ºC target.

Olivia Moyle, Legal Assistant at Opportunity Green, said:

“The NDC extension is a telling indictment of the blasé attitude towards NDCs to date. Countries have had five years to submit their climate plans and yet only a handful met the original deadline. It's well known that the past two rounds of NDCs, which must work towards the goals of the Paris Agreement under international law, have set inadequate climate targets. This brings into sharp focus the need for climate ambition as states work towards the new deadline.”

A major oversight in countries’ NDCs to date is the omission of international aviation and shipping, which constitutes both a lack of ambition in climate action and a failure to meet international legal obligations. Opportunity Green has dispelled the myth that emissions from these sectors, due to their international nature, should only be addressed by UN agencies the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Rather, States are compelled under international law to go take all necessary action to reduce emissions across their economies, which necessarily means including these sectors and going beyond measures enforced by these bodies.

Opportunity Green encourages States to use the seven extra months to consider including international aviation and shipping emissions in their headline targets to ensure that their climate plans meet their international commitments. Failing to do so will likely result in a plan falling woefully short of the 1.5°C temperature target.

Last year Opportunity Green wrote a submission requesting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) clarify States’ legal responsibilities to stop climate change particularly in regard to international aviation and shipping in its upcoming advisory opinion.

Find out more about our legal work ensuring NDCs include international aviation and shipping.