Overview
Climate Action Tracker (CAT) is an independent scientific project dedicated to monitoring government action on greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the context of international climate agreements. The initiative was established in 2009 and is a collaborative product of two organizations: the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. As an operational entity, CAT provides rigorous, data-driven analysis to assess the effectiveness of national and regional climate policies against globally agreed targets.
The core mission of Climate Action Tracker is to evaluate how well countries are performing in their efforts to limit global temperature rise. Specifically, CAT monitors actions taken to achieve the aims of the Paris Agreement, which seeks to hold global warming well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. By tracking these metrics, the project offers a transparent assessment of whether current governmental commitments are sufficient to meet these critical climate thresholds.
The scope of Climate Action Tracker covers 39 individual countries and the European Union. This selection is strategic, as these entities are responsible for over 85% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By focusing on these major emitters, CAT provides a comprehensive overview of the global climate effort, highlighting the progress and shortcomings of the nations that have the most significant impact on the planet's temperature trajectory. The project's independence ensures that its scientific assessments remain objective, serving as a vital reference for policymakers, researchers, and the public in understanding the state of global climate action.
Organizational Structure and Partnerships
The Climate Action Tracker operates as a joint scientific initiative, fundamentally structured around the collaboration between two distinct organizations: the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. This dual-organization model forms the core of the project's operational framework, combining resources and expertise to monitor global climate action. The project is not a standalone corporate entity but rather a product of these two institutions working in unison to provide independent scientific analysis of government climate policies.
Founding Organizations
The NewClimate Institute serves as one of the two primary pillars of the Climate Action Tracker. As a founding organization, the NewClimate Institute contributes to the scientific rigor and methodological development required to assess national climate commitments. The institute’s involvement ensures that the tracking mechanisms align with international scientific standards, particularly in relation to the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals. The NewClimate Institute’s role is integral to the project’s ability to evaluate whether government actions are sufficient to hold warming well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
Climate Analytics is the second founding organization behind the Climate Action Tracker. Alongside the NewClimate Institute, Climate Analytics provides the analytical capacity and research infrastructure necessary to monitor emissions reductions across the 39 countries and the European Union covered by the project. These regions are responsible for over 85% of global emissions, making the analytical work of Climate Analytics critical to the global understanding of climate progress. The collaboration between Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute allows for a comprehensive assessment of both current policies and future targets.
Collaborative Framework
The collaborative nature of the Climate Action Tracker is defined by the partnership between the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. This structure allows for the pooling of scientific expertise, ensuring that the data and projections presented are robust and independently verified. The project’s independence is maintained through this dual-organization model, which helps to mitigate potential biases and enhances the credibility of the findings. The ongoing cooperation between these two entities ensures that the Climate Action Tracker remains a reliable source of information for policymakers, researchers, and the public.
The operational status of the Climate Action Tracker has been maintained since its commissioning in 2009, reflecting the sustained commitment of both the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. This long-term collaboration has enabled the project to evolve and adapt to changing climate policies and international agreements, while maintaining its core mission of monitoring government action on greenhouse gas emissions. The partnership continues to be the foundation of the project’s scientific integrity and global impact.
Methodology: How Climate Action is Measured
The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) employs a rigorous scientific methodology to evaluate government climate action against the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals. The framework assesses progress through three distinct metrics that analyze current policies, future pledges, and equity considerations. This multi-dimensional approach allows for a comprehensive evaluation of whether national efforts are sufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C or well below 2°C.
Emissions Gap: Policies and Pledges
The first metric evaluates the effect of implemented policies and measures on greenhouse gas emissions. This analysis determines the actual emissions trajectory resulting from current legislative and regulatory frameworks. The second metric examines the impact of pledges, targets, and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) projected to 2030. This forward-looking assessment calculates the potential emissions reduction if announced commitments are fully realized. Both metrics are critical for identifying the gap between current action and the emissions pathways required to meet international climate agreements.
Effort Sharing and Equity
The third metric assesses the comparability of effort against each country’s "fair share." This evaluation considers historical responsibility, economic capacity, and development needs to determine if a nation’s contribution is equitable relative to other emitters. The Climate Action Tracker applies this equity lens to 39 countries and the European Union, which collectively account for over 85% of global emissions. This ensures that the assessment reflects not just absolute emission reductions, but also the proportional effort required from major emitters.
| Metric | Description | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Emissions Gap: Policies | Analysis of implemented policies and measures | Current emissions trajectory |
| Emissions Gap: Pledges | Impact of NDCs and targets to 2030 | Projected future reductions |
| Effort Sharing | Comparability against fair share | Equity and historical responsibility |
The Climate Action Tracker is operated by the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics, commissioned in 2009. The methodology integrates these three metrics to provide a holistic view of global climate progress, enabling policymakers and researchers to identify critical gaps in national climate strategies.
Scope of Coverage: Which Countries Are Tracked?
The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) focuses its scientific monitoring on a specific subset of global emitters: 39 individual countries and the European Union. This group of entities is not arbitrary; it represents the nations responsible for over 85% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By concentrating on this high-emission cohort, the project ensures that its analysis captures the vast majority of the world’s carbon output, providing a statistically significant view of global progress toward international climate goals.
The selection of these 39 countries plus the EU implies a coverage strategy based on emission magnitude rather than geographic universality. The tracker does not attempt to monitor every nation-state simultaneously, but instead prioritizes those whose policy decisions have the most immediate impact on the global temperature trajectory. This focus allows for a deeper, more rigorous scientific assessment of government actions, as resources can be directed toward analyzing the complex policy frameworks of major emitters.
The European Union is tracked as a distinct entity alongside individual nations, reflecting its unique role as a supranational political and economic union with binding climate targets for its member states. This distinction is crucial for understanding how regional agreements interact with national policies. The 39 countries included are those that, when combined with the EU, account for the stated over 85% of global emissions. This high threshold ensures that the tracker’s findings are representative of the global picture, rather than being skewed by the policies of minor emitters.
The aim of this targeted coverage is to monitor government action in relation to the Paris Agreement’s core temperature goals. Specifically, the tracker evaluates whether the policies of these major emitters are aligned with "holding warming well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C". The 85% coverage figure serves as a key metric of the tracker’s global relevance. It indicates that if the policies of these 39 countries and the EU are on track, the global average is likely to follow suit, assuming other nations maintain similar or better trajectories. Conversely, if these major emitters lag, the global goal is at significant risk.
This scope allows the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics to provide a clear, data-driven assessment of the gap between current policies and the temperature goals. The focus on the top emitters means that the tracker’s findings are directly applicable to the most critical decision-making bodies in the world. The 39 countries and the EU are the primary drivers of the global energy transition, and their actions are the primary determinants of whether the 1.5°C or 2°C thresholds are breached.
Key Findings: The Gap Between Pledges and Action
The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) serves as an independent scientific project monitoring government action to achieve greenhouse gas emissions reductions in alignment with international agreements, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of holding warming well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. The project tracks climate action in 39 countries and the European Union, which are responsible for over 85% of global emissions. This analysis is a product of the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics.
COP26 Report Analysis
Analysis of the COP26 report from 2021 highlighted a significant gap between net-zero goals and actual policy action. The findings concluded that current actions were not matched by sufficient implementation, leading to a projected warming of 2.4 °C. This discrepancy underscores the challenge of translating political pledges into effective climate policy. The significance of this finding lies in its demonstration that without accelerated action, the globally agreed targets may remain out of reach. The Climate Action Tracker continues to monitor these trends to provide updated assessments of global progress.
Why it matters
Climate Action Tracker (CAT) serves as a critical independent scientific voice in the complex landscape of global climate policy, providing essential transparency and accountability mechanisms for international agreements. As an operational project commissioned in 2009, CAT was established to rigorously monitor government actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, specifically evaluating progress against the globally agreed Paris Agreement targets. The Paris Agreement aims to hold global warming well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C, and CAT provides the scientific scrutiny necessary to determine whether national policies are sufficient to meet these thresholds. By operating independently of political influence, CAT offers an objective assessment of climate action, which is vital for maintaining trust in the international climate regime.
The significance of CAT lies in its comprehensive scope and methodological rigor. It tracks climate action in 39 countries and the European Union, a group responsible for over 85% of global emissions. This focus on major emitters ensures that the analysis captures the most significant contributors to global warming, allowing for a detailed evaluation of how key players are performing relative to the 1.5°C and 2°C targets. The project is a product of two organizations: NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics, which collaborate to provide robust scientific analysis. This partnership enhances the credibility and depth of the data, combining institutional expertise to deliver high-quality assessments.
Transparency and Accountability
CAT enhances transparency by making complex climate data accessible to policymakers, researchers, and the public. By monitoring government actions, CAT holds nations accountable for their commitments under the Paris Agreement. This accountability is crucial for driving policy adjustments and ensuring that countries are not only setting targets but also implementing effective measures to achieve them. The independent nature of CAT ensures that the analysis remains unbiased, providing a reliable benchmark for evaluating progress. This transparency helps to identify gaps between current policies and the actions required to limit global warming, thereby informing strategic decisions and fostering greater commitment to climate action.
Scientific Rigor and Methodology
The scientific rigor of CAT is underpinned by its detailed methodology, which involves analyzing national policies, projected emissions, and temperature trajectories. By focusing on the 39 countries and the European Union responsible for over 85% of global emissions, CAT ensures that its analysis is both comprehensive and impactful. The collaboration between NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics brings together diverse expertise, enhancing the quality and reliability of the data. This scientific approach allows CAT to provide clear, evidence-based assessments of climate action, which are essential for guiding policy decisions and tracking progress toward the Paris Agreement goals. The project's independence ensures that these assessments remain objective, free from political pressure, and focused on the scientific realities of climate change.
Impact on Global Climate Policy
CAT has a significant impact on global climate policy by providing a clear picture of how well countries are performing against the Paris Agreement targets. By highlighting successes and shortcomings, CAT informs discussions at international climate summits and national policy debates. This information helps to drive policy adjustments, encouraging countries to enhance their commitments and implement more effective measures. The project's focus on the 1.5°C and 2°C targets ensures that the analysis is directly relevant to the most critical goals of the Paris Agreement. By maintaining operational status since 2009, CAT has established itself as a trusted source of climate data, influencing policy decisions and fostering greater accountability in the fight against global warming.
What distinguishes Climate Action Tracker from other climate indices?
Climate Action Tracker (CAT) occupies a distinct niche within the landscape of global climate metrics by functioning as an independent scientific project rather than a governmental or corporate index. Its primary distinction lies in its rigorous focus on monitoring government action to achieve the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with regard to international agreements. Unlike broader sustainability indices that may incorporate social or economic indicators, CAT is specifically calibrated against the globally agreed Paris Agreement aim of "holding warming well below 2°C, and pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C". This targeted scope ensures that the data remains directly relevant to the core temperature goals established by international consensus.
The operational independence of CAT is a critical differentiator. It is the product of two organisations: NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics. This dual-organisation structure supports its status as an independent scientific project, minimizing potential conflicts of interest that might arise if the tracker were operated solely by a participating government or a major energy corporation. This independence allows for a more objective assessment of national climate policies.
Furthermore, CAT’s geographic and emission coverage is strategically focused. It is tracking climate action in 39 countries and the European Union. These specific jurisdictions are not chosen arbitrarily; they are responsible for over 85% of global emissions. By concentrating on these major emitters, CAT provides a high-resolution view of the most significant contributors to global warming, rather than diluting its analysis across all 190+ nations with varying levels of impact. This focus on the entities responsible for the vast majority of emissions makes CAT a vital tool for analysts and policymakers who need to understand the effectiveness of the most influential climate actions. The project aims to monitor government action to achieve their reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with regard to international agreements, ensuring that the metrics used are directly tied to the scientific targets required to meet the Paris Agreement's temperature goals.
Applications in Climate Policy and Research
The Climate Action Tracker serves as a critical analytical tool for policymakers, researchers, and journalists seeking to evaluate the efficacy of national climate strategies against international benchmarks. By monitoring government actions related to greenhouse gas emissions reductions, the platform provides the empirical basis for assessing compliance with the Paris Agreement’s core objective: holding global warming well below 2°C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. This scientific monitoring is essential for translating abstract international agreements into measurable national performance indicators.
Policy Assessment and Accountability
Policymakers utilize Climate Action Tracker data to benchmark their countries’ progress relative to peers. The platform covers 39 countries and the European Union, entities collectively responsible for over 85% of global emissions (Climate Action Tracker). This coverage allows for a focused analysis of the primary emitters, enabling governments to identify gaps between current policies and the temperature trajectories required by the Paris Agreement. The independent scientific nature of the project, operated by the NewClimate Institute and Climate Analytics, lends credibility to these assessments, providing a neutral reference point for domestic and international policy debates.
Research and Media Utilization
Researchers rely on the tracker’s structured data to analyze trends in climate policy stringency and implementation over time. Since its commissioning in 2009, the platform has accumulated a longitudinal dataset that supports academic studies on the correlation between policy frameworks and actual emission reductions. Journalists use these insights to report on the "emissions gap," illustrating the disparity between current national commitments and the collective action needed to meet global temperature goals. The operational status of the tracker ensures that this data remains current, allowing for real-time analysis of how evolving government actions impact the global warming trajectory. The integration of data from the two founding organizations ensures a robust methodological approach, combining scientific rigor with policy analysis to inform the global climate discourse.