Global climate policies continue to advance despite setbacks, Oxford research finds
Climate policies are continuing to expand worldwide despite political setbacks in some countries, according to new data from the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor, released during the COP31 climate summit in Türkiye.
The latest findings from the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor, led by the Blavatnik School of Government and the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme, show that progress in Asia, Africa and Latin America is more than offsetting the weakening or reversal of climate policies in parts of Europe and North America.
The research, which covers 39 countries representing more than 85% of global greenhouse gas emissions and GDP, provides a detailed picture of how governments are translating their climate commitments into laws and regulations.
Climate policies prove resilient
The findings show that although some governments have delayed, weakened or repealed climate measures, most of the policies examined have remained unchanged.
Across the measures assessed, 718 were unchanged, 45 delayed, 32 weakened and just 11 repealed. The USA accounted for eight of the 11 repeals.
The longer-term picture also shows climate policies becoming more ambitious, targeting deeper and faster emissions reductions, and more comprehensive, covering a greater proportion of economic activity.
However, progress has been slower in strengthening enforcement and making climate policies legally binding, highlighting the continuing challenge of turning climate commitments into action.
“Overall climate policy continues to advance across the G20, with retrenchment or dilution in some regions, like North America, more than offset by advancement in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Corporate and financial policy frameworks have continued to expand, both in the number of measures adopted and their overall ambition.”
“The long view of climate policy is that it is becoming more ambitious (targeting faster, deeper emissions cuts); more comprehensive (covering a larger portion of the economy); and more real, with growing evidence of implementation. However, the stringency of climate policies – the extent to which they are mandatory and enforced – has seen slower growth.”
Tracking the laws behind climate commitments
The Oxford Climate Policy Monitor examines the laws and regulations governments are introducing to support the transition to net zero, providing an open-access resource for policymakers, researchers and businesses.
The Monitor draws on a global network of 80 leading law firms working pro bono to track climate-related regulation.
This year's expanded analysis covers nine policy areas, including corporate climate disclosures, transition planning, methane emissions, carbon credits and financial regulation.
For the first time, the Monitor also examines policies covering buildings, aviation and international trade in clean technologies.
Buildings account for 37% of global carbon emissions, while aviation accounts for more than 3%. The new trade analysis examines policies affecting electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels and wind turbines, as governments seek to balance climate action with economic competitiveness and energy security.
The researchers have also published accompanying policy briefs examining carbon credits and international trade in clean technologies.
Oxford research informs UN climate policy
The findings are helping to inform international discussions about how governments can turn climate commitments into effective action.
Today at COP31, the UN's Taskforce on Net Zero Policy published its report, Policy Matters: Charting a Path to Net Zero, drawing on data from the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor.
Established at COP28 in 2023, the Taskforce works to strengthen the policy frameworks supporting net zero commitments.
“At COP31, geopolitical divisions risk dominating the headlines. But climate progress also depends on decisions made far from the negotiating table: the laws that shape investment, energy systems, and corporate behaviour. Our remarkable pro bono network of 80 leading law firms helps bring this less visible story into focus, revealing where governments continue to strengthen the legal foundations for the transition, and where important gaps remain.”
Professor Hale added, ‘As the world seeks to limit the scale and duration of the 1.5°C overshoot, the focus must be on helping governments undergird their targets with ambitious and effective policies that are actually implemented on the ground.’
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