China, US, EU post-2020 plans reduce projected warming

For the first time since 2009 the Climate Action Tracker has calculated a lower projected warming over the 21st century than before - because of the new proposed post-2020 actions from China, the US and the EU. However, this is still not enough to limit warming below 2°C.

The Climate Action Tracker is an assessment by four research organisations: Climate Analytics, Ecofys, NewClimate Institute and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, assessing government pledges and actions against what’s needed to limit warming below a 2°C increase above preindustrial levels, and against the goal of bringing warming below 1.5°C by 2100.

If China, the United States and the European Union, who together comprise around 53% of global emissions, fully implement their new, post-2020 plans, they would limit global temperature rise to around 3°C by 2100, between 0.2°C and 0.4°C lower than it would have been prior to their announcements. These announcements are more ambitious than previous commitments, and represent significant progress, but remain insufficient to limit warming below 2°C.

Download the full press release or read the full briefing. You can also watch the webcast of the press conference.