CCAC NDC Watch – Pre-COP Review of Non-CO₂ Pollutants in National Climate Plans
Last week, the UNFCCC Secretariat published a report summarizing data from 64 new nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted in 2025 up to September 30. The report shows clear and growing progress in efforts to combat climate change.
Our analysis reveals that countries under the Paris Agreement increasingly target super pollutants within their overall greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. The latest NDCs show a notable rise in coverage of methane, nitrous oxide, and HFCs compared to pre-2020 plans—growing by 22%, 22%, and 61%, respectively.
Though not explicitly recommended by the CCAC Guidance, inclusion of black carbon has doubled, while attention to non-methane tropospheric ozone precursors has tripled, signaling stronger commitments to reduce these pollutants.
Significant growth is also evident in the number of countries setting additional quantified targets or evaluating mitigation potential for these pollutants—up from nearly none in earlier NDCs. Previously, only two included quantified black carbon targets.
- 35 countries now include quantified methane targets or mitigation assessments.
- 23 countries include similar targets or assessments for HFCs.
- 9 countries have done so for black carbon.
“Countries party to the Paris Agreement are increasingly including action on super pollutants as part of the suite of strategies integrated in their NDCs.”
This shift highlights a growing ambition among nations to address a broader range of climate pollutants beyond CO₂.
Summary: The latest NDCs reflect a notable increase in ambition to reduce super pollutants, with more countries quantifying targets for methane, HFCs, and black carbon, marking significant progress in the fight against climate change.