Climate Action Tracker Reveals Critical Gaps in Global Decarbonization Efforts

Global Climate Goals Face Implementation Crisis

A comprehensive new assessment reveals that worldwide efforts to combat climate change are falling dangerously behind schedule, despite some areas showing promising development. The State of Climate Action 2025 report, produced through collaboration between leading research institutions including the World Resources Institute and Climate Analytics, indicates that none of the 45 critical indicators for climate progress are currently on track to meet 2030 Paris Agreement targets.

Global Climate Goals Face Implementation Crisis
Mixed Progress Across Key Metrics
Electric Vehicle Momentum Shows Signs of Slowing
Bright Spots Emerge in Clean Energy and Finance
Coal Dependency Remains Critical Concern
Emerging Technologies Offer Promise
Urgent Acceleration Needed Across All Sectors

Mixed Progress Across Key Metrics

The analysis presents a complex picture of global climate efforts, with progress varying significantly across different sectors. While six indicators show promising momentum—though insufficient speed—another 29 are advancing well below the required pace. Perhaps most concerning, five key metrics are actually moving in the wrong direction, demanding immediate corrective action.

“There is no doubt we are largely doing the right things, we are just not moving fast enough,” stated Clea Schumer, research associate at WRI and co-lead author of the report, during the online presentation of findings.

Electric Vehicle Momentum Shows Signs of Slowing

In a significant downgrade, electric vehicle adoption—previously the only indicator considered “on track”—has been reclassified as “off track.” While EV sales reached a record 22% of global passenger car sales in 2024, up from just 4.4% in 2020, growth has slowed in crucial markets including Europe and the United States. This slowdown highlights the challenges in maintaining rapid transition momentum across all regions and economic conditions., as covered previously

Bright Spots Emerge in Clean Energy and Finance

The report does identify several areas of encouraging progress. Private climate finance surged from approximately $870 billion in 2022 to a record $1.3 trillion in 2023, prompting researchers to upgrade this indicator from “well off track” to “off track.” This substantial increase was driven largely by individual, business, and investor action, particularly in China and Western Europe.

Renewable energy deployment also shows remarkable advancement, with solar and wind power’s share of global electricity generation more than tripling since 2015. Solar power, in particular, has established itself as the fastest-growing energy source in history, demonstrating the potential for rapid technological adoption when supported by appropriate policies and market conditions.

Coal Dependency Remains Critical Concern

Despite progress in renewable energy, coal continues to present a major obstacle to climate goals. While coal’s share of electricity generation decreased slightly in 2024, overall coal consumption reached record levels due to growing electricity demand worldwide.

“The trouble here is that a power system that relies on fossil fuels has huge, knock-on effects,” Schumer explained. “Decarbonizing buildings, industry, and transport all depend on a decarbonized power grid. We simply will not limit warming to 1.5 degrees if coal use keeps breaking records.”

The report indicates that coal power generation must be phased out more than ten times faster than current rates, equivalent to closing nearly 360 average-sized coal plants annually while canceling all planned projects.

Emerging Technologies Offer Promise

The analysis highlights several emerging technologies that could approach mainstream adoption with proper support. Green hydrogen and technological carbon dioxide removal, which were merely conceptual or small-scale pilot projects a decade ago, now represent potential game-changers in the climate fight. Their development underscores the importance of continued research and investment in innovative solutions.

Urgent Acceleration Needed Across All Sectors

Kelly Levin, chief of science, data and systems change at the Bezos Earth Fund, emphasized the time-sensitive nature of the challenge. “While there has been much progress over the last 10 years, it is still not nearly fast enough for what’s needed for 2030 and beyond,” Levin noted during the press conference.

The report concludes that climate change continues to advance as greenhouse gas emissions rise, temperatures increase, and extreme weather events damage ecosystems and communities worldwide. As Levin summarized: “The question is not whether change can happen, it’s really whether we can make it happen in time.”

The full analysis provides detailed recommendations for accelerating progress across all sectors, emphasizing that while the solutions exist, their implementation requires unprecedented speed and scale to avert the worst impacts of climate change.