10 Years After the Paris Climate Agreement, Here’s Where We Are – The New York Times

Report on Global Climate Action: A Decadal Review (2015-2025) in the Context of the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda

A decade after the Paris Agreement, this report assesses global progress on climate change, evaluating key developments through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis reveals a mixed record of significant technological advancement and persistent policy shortfalls, with profound implications for achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action) and interconnected goals related to energy, health, equality, and biodiversity.

1. State of Climate Action and Global Emissions (SDG 13)

1.1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trajectory

Progress has been made in bending the curve of projected global temperature rise. Current policies indicate a potential increase of 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius by 2100, an improvement from the 3.8-degree trajectory forecasted in 2015. However, this remains significantly above the Paris Agreement’s target, and major emitters have not fulfilled their commitments. This shortfall directly threatens several SDGs:

• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): A one-degree temperature increase is linked to a 77% rise in malaria risk for children in sub-Saharan Africa.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): The current trajectory indicates insufficient action to combat climate change and its impacts.

1.2. Record Global Temperatures

The last decade (2015-2025) was the hottest on record, with 2024 being the most extreme year. This trend of escalating heatwaves has severe consequences for human health and infrastructure, undermining progress toward SDG 3 and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

2. The Energy and Infrastructure Transition (SDG 7, SDG 9, SDG 11)

2.1. Growth in Renewable Energy

The expansion of solar power has consistently outpaced forecasts, becoming the largest source of new electricity generation for the past three years. This rapid growth, driven largely by Chinese manufacturing and resulting price drops, is a critical enabler for SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Solar and onshore wind are now the most cost-effective sources of new electricity.

2.2. Electrification of Transport

The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has accelerated globally, with one in five cars sold worldwide in the last year being electric. This shift supports:

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by reducing urban air pollution.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) by promoting sustainable transport patterns.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action) by displacing approximately 2 million barrels of oil demand per day.

2.3. Persistent Reliance on Fossil Fuels

Despite renewable energy growth, fossil fuels continue to challenge the climate agenda.

1. Coal: While use is declining in developed nations like the United Kingdom, it continues to expand in China, impeding global progress on SDG 7 and SDG 13.
2. Natural Gas: The United States has become the world’s leading exporter of natural gas. While cleaner than coal, this trend risks locking in fossil fuel infrastructure for decades, delaying a full transition to clean energy.

2.4. Rising Electricity Demand

A significant rise in U.S. electricity demand, partly driven by energy-intensive Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), presents a new challenge. Meeting this demand sustainably is crucial for ensuring that technological innovation under SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) does not compromise climate goals.

3. Impacts on Natural Ecosystems (SDG 14, SDG 15)

3.1. Degradation of Terrestrial Ecosystems

The world’s forests are losing their capacity to function as carbon sinks, a direct threat to SDG 15 (Life on Land). Rising temperatures and deforestation for agriculture have led to an increase in forest fires. Consequently, critical ecosystems like the Amazon rainforest are now, in some areas, emitting more carbon than they absorb.

3.2. Threats to Marine Ecosystems

Accelerated ocean warming has caused two global coral bleaching events since 2015, affecting a significant percentage of the world’s reefs. This degradation severely impacts SDG 14 (Life Below Water), threatening the quarter of all marine species dependent on reefs and the communities that rely on them for food and income, which also relates to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).

4. International Cooperation and Climate Finance (SDG 10, SDG 17)

4.1. Shortfall in Financial Commitments

A core principle of the Paris Agreement, rooted in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), was that developed nations would finance climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. However, financial contributions have fallen far short of the required $300 billion in annual public funds needed by 2035. This failure undermines global trust and cooperation.

4.2. Exacerbating Global Inequalities

The lack of adequate climate finance disproportionately harms the most vulnerable nations, deepening global inequalities in direct opposition to SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Poorer countries are forced into greater debt to recover from extreme weather events, hindering their overall development. While local adaptation efforts are underway—from new insurance schemes in India to flood management in China—they remain severely underfunded.

Conclusion: An Unbalanced Decade

The past decade has demonstrated that technological innovation can drive rapid progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in energy (SDG 7) and transport (SDG 11). However, these gains are jeopardized by insufficient policy enforcement, a failure to meet financial commitments under SDG 17, and the escalating degradation of vital ecosystems (SDG 14 and SDG 15). The annual economic cost of climate damage, estimated at $1.4 trillion, underscores the urgent need for integrated strategies that align climate action with the broader 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article discusses a range of interconnected issues primarily centered on climate change and the global response, which directly and indirectly relate to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The following SDGs are addressed:

• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the central theme of the article. The entire text revolves around the Paris Agreement, efforts to reduce global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, rising global temperatures, and adaptation strategies to climate impacts.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: The article extensively covers the transition in the energy sector. It highlights the rapid growth of solar and wind power, the decline of coal in some regions, and the rise of natural gas, all of which are critical components of achieving clean energy.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The Paris Agreement is a prime example of a global partnership. The article’s discussion on the financial commitments of rich, industrialized nations to help lower-income countries with energy transition and climate adaptation directly relates to the principles of global partnership and finance mobilization.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article establishes a direct link between climate change and health impacts. It mentions that a one-degree increase in temperature raises malaria risk for children and notes that extreme heat has caused deaths among various populations.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The significant shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) and the development of sustainable transportation infrastructure, such as electric buses, are discussed. The growth of the solar industry, particularly in China, and the rising electricity demand from new technologies like A.I. also fall under this goal.
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article specifically addresses the impact of rising ocean temperatures on marine ecosystems, detailing the increasing frequency and severity of coral bleaching events which threaten marine biodiversity and the livelihoods dependent on it.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The article discusses the diminishing capacity of forests to act as carbon sinks. It points to increased forest fires and deforestation for agriculture as key drivers, noting that parts of the Amazon are now releasing more carbon than they absorb.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article provides examples of climate adaptation in urban and community settings, such as creating porous surfaces in cities to manage floodwaters and adding shade to school playgrounds to protect children from extreme heat.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. The article’s core subject is the Paris Agreement, under which countries set their own targets to reduce climate pollution. It explicitly states that the biggest emitters (China, U.S., EU, India) “have not met their Paris promises,” directly addressing this target.
2. Target 13.a: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties… to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually… to address the needs of developing countries… The article highlights the failure to meet this commitment, stating that the $1.3 trillion needed annually by 2035 is “far more than what rich countries have thus far made available.”
3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The article describes adaptation efforts, such as an insurance plan for heat waves in India, new crops being grown in Malawi and Uganda, and cities in China creating porous surfaces for floodwaters.
4. Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. The article details the progress in this area, noting that “Solar power has been the largest source of new electricity generation for the last three years” and that in India, “more than half of the generation capacity now comes from solar, wind and hydropower.”
5. Target 15.2: …promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation… The article discusses the negative trend related to this target, explaining that “Fires are increasingly driving forest loss worldwide” and that this is “limiting the ability of many forests to store planet-warming carbon dioxide.”
6. Target 14.2: …sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… The discussion on coral reefs directly relates to this target. The article states that since 2015, global bleaching events are “happening much more often than before, and affecting more reefs, because the oceans are heating up fast.”
7. Target 3.3: …end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. The article implies a challenge to this target by linking climate change to disease, noting that a “one-degree increase in average temperature… raises malaria risk for children in sub-Saharan Africa by 77 percent.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• Projected Global Temperature Rise: The article states that with current policies, the global average temperature is projected to rise by “2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius,” down from a projection of “up to 3.8 degrees Celsius” in 2015. This is a direct indicator for progress on climate action (Target 13.2).
• Share of Renewable Energy: The article mentions that in Britain, “more than half of Britain’s electricity came from renewables” in 2024. It also notes that solar is the “largest source of new electricity generation” globally. These are indicators for Target 7.2.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Adoption Rate: The fact that “worldwide, one in five cars sold was electric” last year serves as an indicator for the transition to sustainable transport and infrastructure (SDG 9).
• Climate Finance Gap: The article quantifies the financial need for developing countries at “$1.3 trillion… every year by 2035,” including “$300 billion a year in public monies from rich countries,” and notes this is far more than what is currently available. This measures the gap in achieving Target 13.a.
• Forest Carbon Sequestration Rate: The article points to a negative indicator for forest health (Target 15.2) by stating that parts of the Amazon “are releasing more carbon than trees and soil are absorbing.” The chart titled “The world’s forests are absorbing less carbon dioxide” provides a visual indicator of this trend.
• Coral Bleaching Extent: The chart showing the “Percent of the world’s coral reefs affected by each bleaching event” provides a clear, measurable indicator of the damage to marine ecosystems (Target 14.2) due to ocean warming.
• Economic Cost of Climate Change: The article cites that the physical damage from global warming costs the global economy “around $1.4 trillion a year,” which can be used as an indicator of the overall economic impact of failing to meet climate goals.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nytimes.com