Comment: International emissions-cutting targets need to be translated into national laws to guarantee their full delivery and protect the rights of future generations Two climate activists from the “Last Generation” group threw orange paint on the glass facade of the Zlote Tarasy shopping mall in central Warsaw, Poland, on August 28, 2024. The demonstration, timed to coincide with the beginning of the new school year, was intended to draw attention to the urgent climate crisis and its future impact on children. (Photo: Marek Antoni Iwanczuk / SOPA Images via Reuters) Pierre Cannet is global head of public affairs and policy at ClientEarth. The UN Summit of the Future that took place in New York over the weekend pitched strengthened diplomatic cooperation as the key to protecting the rights of present and future generations from environmental breakdown, amongst other issues. As politicians, business leaders and civil society gathered in New York to discuss urgent progress needed on climate and nature, the upcoming diplomatic calendar was in sharp focus – in particular, the deadline for updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in February 2025. NDCs are commitments on emissions-cutting that countries submit to the UN every 5 years, and they are central for the Paris Agreement’s mechanism to ratchet up countries’ decarbonisation ambitions over time. But now is also the moment to start asking, what comes after and with the NDCs? UN climate chief warns of “two-speed” global energy transition The conversation must evolve to ensure that international targets are translated into strong national laws to guarantee their full delivery. For us at ClientEarth, that looks like two things at national level; the adoption of Future Generation Acts to incorporate long-term thinking into governance, and the implementation of ambitious and science-driven framework climate laws. UK leads the way So far, framework climate […]