The 2024 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Synthesis Report from the UN Climate Change Secretariat underscores an alarming shortfall in global emission reduction commitments.
As the world heads towards COP29, the report warns that existing climate plans will lead to just a 2.6% decrease in emissions by 2030 — nowhere near the 43% cut required to keep global warming within the 1.5°C threshold and prevent catastrophic climate impacts.
Bangladesh, alongside other nations, may reassess its current commitments and explore higher NDC ambition targets.
Bangladesh’s updated first NDC, submitted in 2021, outlines a conditional reduction of 89.47 MtCO₂e and unconditional reductions of 27.56 MtCO₂e by 2030 across multiple sectors, including energy, industry, and agriculture.
The country may need to align more closely with the global 1.5°C pathway to maximize access to climate finance and secure its development prospects in an increasingly volatile climate landscape.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called for urgent action, noting: “Today’s NDC Synthesis Report must be a turning point, ending the era of inadequacy and sparking a new age of acceleration.”
He emphasized that bold new plans are crucial not only to avert disaster but also to unlock economic growth, job creation, and cleaner energy systems.
The report paints a grim picture – if current climate plans are fully implemented, the world is still on course for 2.6°C of warming by the end of the century.
Stiell warned: “Greenhouse gas pollution at these levels will guarantee a human and economic trainwreck for every country, without exception.”
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights that emissions need to fall by 43% by 2030 and 60% by 2035 to maintain a habitable climate. “Every fraction of a degree matters, as climate disasters get rapidly worse,” the report reiterates.
Natalie Jones, policy advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development, pointed out that "fossil fuel production remains a major blind spot" in many climate plans, cautioning that countries must align with recent global deals to transition away from fossil fuels.
Stephen Cornelius, WWF’s Global Deputy Climate and Energy Lead, stressed the need for urgent action, stating: “High greenhouse gas levels were unfortunately just one of many climate records broken in 2023. The rising concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane deepen economic risks and worsen extreme weather events.”
The NDC Synthesis Report also highlights that new national climate plans will be due early next year, with COP29 in Baku serving as a critical moment for countries to transform their pledges into reality.
The world will look to concrete progress on tripling renewable energy capacity, phasing out fossil fuels, and delivering climate finance to vulnerable nations.
Without swift action, the window to avoid the worst climate outcomes is rapidly closing.
“Inaction raises the stakes,” Cornelius warned. "We know the solutions — like renewable energy — and they are cost-effective. Now is the time to act."
As global climate diplomacy intensifies in the lead-up to COP29, all eyes are on national leaders to deliver credible plans.
Countries like Bangladesh — already disproportionately affected by climate change — must consider further raising their ambitions to contribute meaningfully to the global effort.
