Below is an excerpt from ISS-Corporate’s recently released article “Mapping Corporate Climate Commitments: Aligning Business Action with Global Climate Goals”. The full article is available on ISS-Corporate’s resources page.
The third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the central mechanism through which countries commit to climate action under the Paris Agreement – was originally due in February 2025, covering targets for 2035. Due to low submission rates, the deadline was informally extended to September 24, 2025, giving countries additional time to develop robust, high-quality plans ahead of COP30, which will take place in Belém, Brazil in November 2025. According to Climate Action Tracker, only 40 countries had submitted their NDCs as of September 23, representing 24.5% of global emissions and 16.6% of the global population. While the overall outlook on global commitments remains cautious, efforts to establish ambitious targets continue beyond the formal deadline.
Regional Trends in Corporate Climate Commitments & GHG Reduction Targets
Against the backdrop of ongoing NDC negotiations and preparations for the COP30 summit, ISS-Corporate analyzed corporate disclosure data to assess the global prevalence of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. The findings reveal significant variation across countries and regions, with companies in Europe and Asia Pacific showing more consistent commitments—particularly in setting Scope 1 & 2 and Scope 3 targets—compared to their counterparts in the Americas.
By:
Kosmas Papadopoulos, CFA, Executive Director, Head of Sustainability Advisory – Americas, ISS-Corporate
Dennis Tung, Associate Vice President, Sustainability Advisory Manager, ISS-Corporate
