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A decade since the adoption of the Paris Agreement, its member countries, known as Parties, are demonstrating how their national climate plans have evolved with increased ambition and a sharpened focus in the NDC Synthesis report.

The 2025 NDC Synthesis Report from the UN Climate Change Secretariat reveals real and increasing progress, showing that the combined emissions curve is bending further downward.

This momentum is attributed to Parties setting new national climate targets and implementation plans that differ in pace and scale from any that have come before.

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell commended this development, stating, “We are now bending the curve of planet-heating emissions downwards for the very first time.”

He attributed this real progress to the framework of the Paris Agreement. The emissions trajectories in the new NDCs are broadly consistent with a linear path from 2030 targets to long-term net-zero goals, showing clear stepping-stones.

Stiell added, “The new NDCs will reduce emissions by 12% in 2035. That’s a big deal.”

The report further reveals that implementing these new plans will lead to a peaking of global greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, followed by strong reductions thereafter. This progress is embedded in quality and credibility, with 89% of Parties communicating economy-wide targets.

Notably, 88% indicated their NDCs were informed by the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake (GST). Parties have reportedly embraced whole-of-economy, whole-of-society approaches, making climate action a core pillar of economic stability, job creation, health, and energy security.

While mitigation efforts are accelerating, the report highlights a significant rise in focus on adaptation and resilience. Over 73% of the new NDCs include a robust adaptation component, making it an inalienable key aspect of climate action.

According to Dr. Richard Muyungi of the African Group of Negotiators, the report is instrumental. “The third iteration of the NDCs is essential, and many countries in Africa have provided them. These NDCs are going to help Africa become more resilient toward the impacts it faces,” he said.

The report also notes a remarkable trend of NDCs mentioning mitigation co-benefits from adaptation actions and economic diversification climate plans.

Furthermore, there is growing recognition of the importance of a just transition, with many Parties embedding considerations to ensure the shift to low-carbon, climate-resilient economies does not exacerbate existing or create new inequalities, enabling socially inclusive and economically empowering climate action.

However, the report emphasizes that the most critical aspect remains implementation, which necessitates strong international cooperation and innovative approaches to unlock finance.

On this issue, Dr. Muyungi pointed to financing as a vital stride toward achieving a just transition for the continent. “We cannot transition on an empty basket. There is a need for financing of the continent’s plans, not only NDCs, but also the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs),” said the AGN Chair.

While the NDC Synthesis Report outlines measurable progress and a promising shift towards a more resilient and equitable pathway, it simultaneously confirms that the journey has just begun, and scaled-up finance is the pivotal key to turning these ambitious plans into a tangible reality.