Climate clock ticks - from pledges to collective action

Today (July 22) is Climate Emergency Day, a global moment for reflection, urgency, and renewed commitment. Around the world, communities, governments, and industries pause to take stock of progress made in curbing carbon emissions, and to confront the steep challenges that still lie ahead.

Climate Clocks, now installed in major cities from New York to Glasgow, serve as stark reminders of the time left to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, a threshold scientists agree is critical to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate change. As of today, those clocks tell us we have just four years remaining to make the radical changes needed to stay below that temperature limit.

But why is this important? In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a report following the Paris Agreement that warned of serious and potentially irreversible consequences if greenhouse gas emissions exceed the 1.5°C. It made clear that without deep emissions cuts by 2030, limiting warming to 1.5°C will no longer be feasible.

We have already overshot this threshold, albeit temporarily and we remain on course do so again. This will escalate risks across the board with the potential for more frequent and severe heatwaves, rising sea levels threatening coastal communities, large-scale biodiversity collapse, and extreme weather events disrupting economies and displacing millions. However, this trajectory is not unstoppable. With swift, system-wide transformation, there is still a narrow but viable path forward. Every fraction of a degree matters, and so does every decision made by governments, industries, and communities.

It is important to acknowledge that significant strides have been made worldwide, including here in the UK. Since 1990, the UK has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by around 48%, faster than any other G7 country, while growing its economy. Key drivers include phasing out coal-fired power stations, expanding offshore wind and introducing clean energy incentives. We have also seen significant strides made in decarbonising industrial clusters.  However, progress in some sectors is not enough, and the climate emergency requires a whole-economy, whole-society response.

The UK’s Climate Change Act, updated to enshrine a legally binding net zero target by 2050, has created a strong legal and policy framework. Meanwhile, cities like Manchester and Glasgow have rolled out low-emission zones, green transport initiatives, and urban rewilding projects.

Yet, progress is uneven and far from sufficient. Over 90% of the world’s GDP is now covered by net zero pledges, but only a fraction of countries is on track to meet them. The next five years are critical. The UK must urgently tackle emissions from sectors that have proven more resistant to change particularly industry, transportation, buildings, and agriculture. We need to rapidly scale up solutions for energy-intensive industries, invest in a national charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, home insulation and heat pump installations, and promote sustainable farming practices that cut methane and protect natural carbon sinks.

Progress will be undermined unless there is coordinated global effort. Initiatives like carbon markets are helping to drive policy change. Despite political and economic tensions, many countries, including the UK, EU, and China, are holding firm to their emission pledges. Financial institutions are increasingly factoring climate risk into investment decisions, and major corporations have embraced net zero targets as mainstream business strategy.

Moreover, systemic climate justice must be part of the equation ensuring that low-income communities, both domestically and globally, are not left behind in the transition. Climate justice is not a side issue, but the foundation of a successful climate response. The role of universities and research institutions is also key here to act as catalysts for societal change, and call on leaders to listen, as well as embedding youth perspectives into climate governance.

Time for pledges is over. Climate Emergency Day and the Climate Clock are not symbolic; they are urgent calls to action. The window is closing. The UK and the world must move from incremental progress to transformative change. We must now act boldly and collectively, with the urgency and ambition that science demands and at the scale required.