New Report Shows Developed Countries Not Doing Their Fair Share in Tackling Climate Crisis

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (4 December) - In a collective effort to address the pressing challenges of climate change, a global coalition of civil society organizations  - representing social movements, environmental and development NGOs, trade unions, and faith groups - have published a new review of whether countries are doing their fair share to tackle the climate crisis.

The report, “The 2023 Fair Shares Deficit: A Civil Society Equity Review of the NDCs and 2035 Mitigation Fair Shares”, presents a science- and equity-based analysis of a select number of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It scrutinizes the current ambitions articulated in updated NDCs and compares them with the fair share of each country's effort needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

It finds that, despite increased ambition in several NDCs, collective ambition still falls significantly short of what is required to steer the world on a path to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. Notably, no developed or affluent countries are presently meeting their fair share NDCs. The report emphasizes the urgent need for increased ambition, both domestically and through international support, in achieving 2030 and setting 2035 targets.

Kelly Stone, Senior Policy Analyst at ActionAid USA, said: “Fair shares is not only a moral priority but a practical and pragmatic one. The world will not limit the Paris Agreement temperature goal without an equitable and fair shares report. Today’s report shows how far short the US is falling, still. This is unacceptable from the biggest historical emitter. We must hold the US and other rich developed countries accountable to do their fair share. Continued failure to do so is a disaster for frontline communities.”

Shirley Matheson, WWF’s NDC Enhancement Lead, said: “The evidence shows we are not yet doing enough to respond to this crisis. With current emissions still at their highest level in human history, we are way off course, and the window to limit warming to 1.5ºC is rapidly closing. This report puts into perspective the response that is needed from a fair share perspective. Countries must take this perspective on-board at this year’s climate negotiations where the key activity is taking stock of ambition and setting expectations for realigning ambition and action in this critical decade.”

Sara Shaw, Friends of the Earth International: "Once again developed countries are shown to be the laggards in taking urgent action to cut emissions and provide the climate finance they owe. They fall disastrously short of doing their fair share of climate action, and alarmingly are wasting time on dangerous distractions, like carbon offsets, geoengineering and other risky, unproven technologies.”

The Civil Society Equity Review was convened in 2015 and since then over 500 groups, organizations, and movements have endorsed its analyses, findings, and recommendations.

This new report's analysis extends beyond previous Civil Society Equity Reviews’ focus on the current NDCs, examining climate actions undertaken by specific countries between 2015 and today. This includes a comparison of what would have constituted a fair share pathway over these eight years with the actual developments. It also sets out fair share mitigation targets for 2035, in anticipation of new NDCs being developed over the next year.

The report issues a call to action, demanding that countries deliver on fair share NDCs. This includes updated NDCs for 2030 and the formulation of new NDCs for 2035, reflecting:

1. Fair share mitigation targets.

2. International support for countries surpassing domestic potential.

3. Commitments to a fair, full, fast, and equitable fossil fuel phaseout.

4. Commitments to a just transition.

5. Rejection of false solutions or dangerous distractions that endanger communities.

This report launch marks a critical moment in the ongoing global efforts to combat climate change. The findings underscore the urgency of immediate and ambitious actions to meet fair share commitments and avert the severe consequences of the climate crisis. 

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Notes to editors: 

The 2023 Fair Shares Deficit: A Civil Society Equity Review of the NDCs and 2035 Mitigation Fair Shares: Full report available: https://equityreview.org/report2023
List of signatories available at https://equityreview.org/signatories-2023.

The report will be launched at an event at COP28 on 4 December at 1500-1630 in Side Event Room 9, Zone B6, Building 82. You can watch the report launch online.

For interviews contact: 

Izrael Muhamad, WWF International, Media Specialist, imuhamad@wwfint.org.
WWF COP28 Comms team cop28-comms@wwfint.org