Key Points

The CEEW issue brief titled "Ten Years of Paris Agreement: A Stocktake of Cooperative Climate Initiatives" examined 203 initiatives launched since COP21 in 2015 and found that despite the rise in voluntary, multi-actor collaborations, most lack measurable progress or accountability frameworks.

According to the analysis, more than 475 cooperative initiatives have been launched since the Paris Agreement, engaging over 40,000 businesses, investors, local governments, and multilateral organisations. However, unlike commitments under the Paris framework monitored through mechanisms such as the Global Stocktake and Biennial Transparency Reports, there is no systematic tracking mechanism for these voluntary initiatives.

"While the Paris Agreement provided the scaffolding for collective ambition, the coming decade must focus on accountability--transforming coalitions into credible instruments of delivery, where every pledge is measurable, inclusive, and capable of driving tangible transformation, particularly for communities across the Global South," said Mohana Bharathi Manimaran, Research Analyst at CEEW.

The study found that 5 per cent of initiatives have achieved their goals, while 39 per cent show continuous engagement. However, over 20 per cent remain stalled or inactive, with no updates since their initial announcement. Nearly one-third show only sporadic activity despite some resource allocation.

The report highlights that initiatives with clear targets, monitoring frameworks, and budgetary allocations show better progress. However, 53 per cent of all initiatives lack defined targets and only 28 per cent have budget allocations.

Less than a third of the initiatives focus exclusively on regions in the Global South, and only about one-fifth include participation from subnational actors. Developed countries were found to collaborate mostly with each other, while even initiatives led by developing nations often include prominent participants from the Global North.

From the Global South, India has emerged as a key player, leading eight initiatives over the past decade. Despite not hosting a COP, India has mobilised an average of 47 countries per initiative, comparable to COP Presidencies' mobilisation average.

The CEEW brief calls for COP Presidencies to play a stronger role in sustaining and monitoring cooperative initiatives through mechanisms such as the Circle of Presidencies and the Troika. It also recommends improved integration of structural elements such as targets, budgets, and monitoring systems, along with enhanced South-South cooperation for region-specific climate action.

The findings come ahead of COP30 in Belem, Brazil, from November 10-21, marking the first full ambition cycle of the Paris Agreement -- a critical moment for evaluating whether global climate partnerships can move from pledges to measurable action.

- ANI