Climate Action Tracker

Climate Action Tracker
Name	Climate Action Tracker
Type	Independent scientific analysis
Founded	2009
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Mission	Tracking climate mitigation ambition and progress

Climate Action Tracker Climate Action Tracker produces independent scientific assessments of national greenhouse gas emissions commitments and global temperature projections linked to the Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, European Commission, and a network of research partners such as the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Analytics partnership. Its analyses inform policymakers, negotiators at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, and civil society organizations including Greenpeace, WWF, and 350.org while engaging with finance actors like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The project is referenced in reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, cited in briefings for legislators in bodies such as the European Parliament and the United States Congress, and used by media outlets including the New York Times, the Guardian, and the BBC.

Overview

Climate Action Tracker provides country-level and aggregate assessments of whether nationally determined contributions and policy packages are consistent with temperature goals set by the Paris Agreement and scientific benchmarks from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report. The initiative publishes regularly updated scorecards, projection pathways, and policy briefings used by actors including the G20, the European Union, the African Union, and national cabinets in countries such as India, China, United States, Brazil, and Australia. Its outputs intersect with datasets from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, analyses by Carbon Tracker, and modeling frameworks from the International Energy Agency and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Methodology

The methodology combines sectoral greenhouse gas inventories aligned with the IPCC guidelines, scenario modeling comparable to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, and policy tracking similar to tools used by the IEA and the World Resources Institute. Emissions projections use inputs from national submissions under the Paris Agreement and incorporate policy implementation evidence reported to the UNFCCC and analyzed alongside datasets from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Transport Forum, and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Temperature outcome estimates are benchmarked against scenarios in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C and cross-validated with modeling from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and university groups such as Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Global and Country Assessments

Country assessments categorize pledge ambition using tiers comparable to frameworks used by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Climate Vulnerable Forum. Major country profiles cover emissions trajectories for economies including the European Union, China, United States, India, Russia, Japan, Canada, South Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico. Regional syntheses examine blocs such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the African Union while special reports focus on sectors overseen by organizations like the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Aggregate global evaluations compare current pledges against carbon budgets discussed at the COP26 and COP21 sessions and against net-zero commitments announced by corporations listed on exchanges such as the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

Impact and Reception

Policy audiences in parliaments including the UK Parliament, the Bundestag, and the Australian Parliament have used the project's findings alongside analyses from institutes such as the Grantham Research Institute and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Civil society organizations including Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, and Rainforest Alliance reference its ratings in campaigns, and academic studies from universities like Oxford University, University of Cambridge, and Harvard University cite its projections. Media coverage by outlets such as Reuters, Al Jazeera, and The Economist has raised public visibility, while critiques in journals and think tanks including the Brookings Institution and the Cato Institute have debated assumptions about baseline scenarios and policy implementation.

History and Development

Established in 2009 with collaboration among climate research groups and policy analysts, the project evolved through milestones coinciding with international events such as COP15 in Copenhagen, COP21 in Paris, and COP26 in Glasgow. Early methodology development drew on collaborations with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the Germanwatch organization, and successive enhancements incorporated modeling approaches from the Potsdam Institute and empirical inventories from national statistical offices including those of France, Germany, and Brazil. The project released notable updates in the lead-up to major conferences such as COP24 and influenced national debate in cases like New Zealand's emissions law and South Korea's Green New Deal deliberations.

Funding and Governance

Funding and governance combine independent research funding sources, philanthropic support from foundations such as the Children's Investment Fund Foundation and partnerships with academic institutions including University College London and Stockholm Environment Institute. Governance structures involve advisory inputs from experts affiliated with organizations like the World Resources Institute, the International Institute for Environment and Development, and the Climate Policy Initiative, while maintaining editorial independence to ensure analytical credibility for stakeholders ranging from the European Commission to multilateral development banks such as the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Category:Climate change organizations