10 Years After the Paris Agreement: You Won't Believe the Shocking Truth About Our Broken Promises!

ANKARA — As the world marks a decade since the historic Paris Agreement was adopted, the path to meeting its 2030 climate targets appears increasingly precarious. Despite the agreement's ambitious goals to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with an aspiration for 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, nations worldwide are still struggling to align their policies with these objectives. The United States, a major historical polluter, has once again opted to withdraw from the agreement, raising alarms among climate experts and advocates alike.

The Paris Agreement was signed by 195 countries on December 12, 2015, and officially took effect in 2016. While notable progress has been made in elevating climate change to a top-tier global political issue, it has become evident that many countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) remain alarmingly insufficient. Barriers such as political uncertainty, heavy dependence on fossil fuels, and concerns about economic impacts continue to thwart meaningful progress.

The latest United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, titled "Emissions Gap Report 2024: 'No more hot air … please!'" highlights this disconnect. It argues that nations must commit to reducing their annual greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030 and 57% by 2035 to keep the 1.5 degrees Celsius target within reach. Without such commitments, the crucial climate goals of the Paris Agreement could slip out of reach in just a few years.

As we enter 2025, global carbon emissions have hit record highs. The Global Carbon Project reported that fossil fuel CO2 emissions soared to 36.8 billion tons in 2023, marking a 1.1% increase from the previous year, with projections indicating a further rise to 37.4 billion tons in 2024. This surge is largely attributed to ongoing reliance on coal, oil, and gas.

The return of former President Donald Trump, who previously withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement in 2020 and has dismissed climate change as “a hoax,” has exacerbated global fears. On January 20, 2025, upon his inauguration, Trump announced a renewed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, reversing the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to rejoin. In a further move, he declared a “National Energy Emergency” to expedite domestic fossil fuel production and reinstated plastic straws, claiming paper straws are harmful due to chemicals. His administration also halted climate-related foreign aid through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and enacted severe funding cuts and layoffs at key U.S. institutions focusing on climate science and policy. These decisions are widely seen as significant setbacks for international cooperation on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals.

The Role of Industry in Global Climate Targets

As the world grapples with these setbacks, upcoming climate conferences will play a crucial role in shaping future strategies. At COP30 in Belem, Brazil, in November 2025, "green industrialization" emerged as a central theme, with 35 countries and several international organizations signing the Belem Declaration on Global Green Industrialization. This commitment aims to help developing economies adopt green industrial strategies, decarbonize heavy industry, and accelerate clean technology innovation while generating jobs.

Building on agreements made at COP29 in Baku in 2024, where parties outlined a new climate finance target of at least $300 billion per year by 2035, COP30 will further the Baku to Belem roadmap, targeting an increase in overall climate finance to $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. However, the finance outcome from COP29 was criticized as inadequate, particularly with notable absences from leaders like Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Moreover, COP29 marked a significant advancement in operationalizing carbon markets, paving the way for international carbon trading and generating additional private investment for green industrial projects. This progress is critical as countries prepare to gather for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31), set to take place in Türkiye in 2026. This meeting, with nearly 200 countries in attendance, will focus on updating emission-reduction targets, adaptation measures, climate finance, and carbon market implementation.

Hosting COP31 will elevate Türkiye's profile in global climate diplomacy, amidst a backdrop of rising global temperatures and escalating greenhouse gas emissions. As climate challenges mount, the urgency for nations to unify in action has never been more pressing.