CCAC NDC Watch - Pre-COP Review of the Latest Non-CO₂ Pollutants in National Climate Plans
Last week, the UNFCCC Secretariat released a report summarizing information from 64 new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2025 up to September 30. The report highlights ongoing and growing progress in climate change action.
Our analysis shows that countries party to the Paris Agreement are increasingly targeting super pollutants within their overall greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. This trend is evident from the number of countries addressing methane, nitrous oxide, and HFCs in their latest NDCs.
- The coverage of methane and nitrous oxide in NDCs has each increased by 22% compared to pre-2020 submissions.
- HFCs coverage rose by 61%.
- Although not explicitly recommended by CCAC Guidance, black carbon inclusion doubled,
- Non-methane tropospheric ozone precursors inclusion tripled, reflecting mounting ambition on these pollutants.
The number of countries adding quantified targets or estimating mitigation potential for measures in their NDCs has notably increased from nearly zero in earlier NDCs. Previously, only two NDCs included black carbon in this manner.
As of September 30, "35 countries include a quantified methane target or assessment of mitigation potential," while "23 and 9 include HFCs and black carbon" respectively in this way.
This growth in comprehensive pollutant coverage underlines an enhanced global commitment to reducing super pollutants as part of climate strategies.
Author's summary: The 2025 NDCs show significant growth in addressing super pollutants, with more countries setting quantified targets and assessing mitigation potential, signaling stronger global climate commitments.