On September 24th, the UN headquarters hosted hundreds of national leaders as part of their climate summit. The event was called by UN officials just a few weeks out from their annual climate conference, seeking to push countries to better orient their climate goals in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

Also known as the Paris Accord, this agreement was formed in 2015 as a way to increase pressure on international governments to act against climate change. It operates on a five-year cycle, with countries having to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs) at the beginning of the cycle, and having to fulfill these NDCs come the cycle’s end. This is followed by a climate conference, where countries are expected to arrive with even more ambitious NDCs than they had formed during the previous cycle. The aim is that in following the agreement, countries will show a continuous improvement in lowering their emissions, and more specifically, prevent levels of global greenhouse gas emissions from reaching 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrialization temperatures. AP Environmental Science teacher Dr. DeMarie clarifies that this number was settled on because, “…if you go above two or three degrees, you’re entering a world that’s not like the world as we know it…So the Sahara Desert may get more rain, but then Mediterranean countries…will turn into the Sahara Desert.” Following the agreement, countries were meant to come forward with new NDCs at the climate conference, which will be held in November of this year. However, since 2024 was the hottest year on record, with global temperatures increasing 1.6 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial temperatures, a summit was organized in order to address what the UN saw as a failure to fulfill the Paris Agreement, with countries being asked to present new NDCs. All major world powers were present, as the summit remains an important stepping stone for the upcoming conference. The only exception was the United States.

On January 20th, President Trump signed an executive order that pulled the United States out of the Paris Agreement, something he did just a few hours after beginning his second term. This mirrored a decision he made in his first term during 2017, in which he announced that the U.S. would be abandoning the accord. He doubled down on the decision during the UN General Assembly, just a few days prior to the summit, cementing during his speech that climate change was “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” going on to deny scientists’ warnings of escalating temperatures and the exacerbation of severe weather due to climate change. Trump’s refusal to acknowledge climate change, as well as his pulling out of the Paris Accord, also comes at a time when the rest of the world is focused on pouring resources into renewable energy; the CEO of the European Climate Foundation stated, “there is unstoppable economic momentum behind the global transition, which the U.S…now risks forfeiting.” Moreover, the AP reported that global experts were fearful of the impact this may have on China in particular—the world’s largest annual carbon emitter, a title in which the U.S. comes second—concerned that Trump’s actions would become an excuse for China to lessen its efforts against climate change.

This notion was put to the test during the summit. China presented new NDCs for the coming years, with President Jinping announcing that the country would be looking to reduce its overall greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10% no later than 2035, coupled with an aim for over 30% of the country’s energy consumption to be classified as renewable within the decade. He went on to promise an expansion of solar and wind power so that its capacity would reach six times that of 2020, as well as mainstreaming the use of electric cars, and a goal to “basically establish a climate adaptive society.” Victoria C., a sophomore and a member of Greeley’s Sustainability club, reasoned, “countries such as China [will] move towards cleaner energy… not for the sake of having cleaner energy, but for the sake that it’s cheaper.” Despite the AP having recorded that a number of climate activists felt underwhelmed by the NDC, the country also has a habit of under-promising and over-delivering on the climate goals it sets forward, as just last year, China was able to reach its objective regarding solar and wind power for 2030, 6 years ahead of time.

Unlike China, some countries were unable to even present NDCs at the summit, such as those that form the EU. This was a shock to many, as, within the past few decades, the EU has been able to lower its emissions faster than emitters such as China and the United States through its continued commitment to clean energy. Currently, many of the EU’s territories are also struggling with severe weather and water scarcity, meaning that the lack of an NDC was not just uncharacteristic but, in many climate activists’ eyes, untimely. A European news site, France 24, explained that this lack of an NDC was due to the 27 members of the EU being unable to agree on a plan. Even so, the collective was able to present a statement of intent that alluded to the contents of their future NDC, with “an indicative 2035 target in a range between 66.25% and 72.5% greenhouse gas emissions reduction, compared to 1990 levels.” The statement also noted that the finalized NDC would be submitted ahead of the fast-approaching conference. The UN made sure to add that the Union will be investing €300 billion into clean energy initiatives around the world, allowing it to keep its title as the largest provider of climate-related funding.

Among this news, Nigeria was yet another country that seemed to garner controversy for its NDC. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest oil producer, and in an effort to move away from this role, the country has pivoted its focus to gas, using it as a “transition fuel” in order to ease the country into renewable energy. This was also done because leaders need more time to gather international funding, with which the country cannot afford to invest in clean energy without. The gas is said to help replace both diesel used for transportation and coal used for electricity, as gas has a lower carbon footprint than both. However, it is still a fossil fuel. The rest of Nigeria’s NDC aims to lower emissions by 32% from 2018 levels by the next decade, with the country reinforcing that gas is the best route to do so. Even though the UN praised this decision alongside China’s NDC, some climate experts remained skeptical, arguing that a transition fuel may stall the country and make the switch to cleaner energy that much harder. Still, this seems to be the road many African countries have chosen as they continue to gather funding, with Zimbabwe’s NDC also noting an increase in gas, and Tanzania’s representatives claiming during an African climate summit that gas is the only way for the continent to move towards renewable energy.

All in all, the UN has presented itself as being pleased with the results of the summit, viewing it as having set the correct tone for the upcoming conference. While Dr. DeMarie admitted to the fact that the fight for climate change “can seem hopeless sometimes,” he also added that students should understand “nothing is hopeless. As long as you’re alive, you can make a difference in this world.”