Paris climate pact: Unfulfilled pledges as deadline approaches
By George Kebaso, July 1, 2025Ten years after parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change, experts have warned that insufficient progress has been made to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future.
This assessment comes with only five years remaining to achieve the ambitious commitments made on December 12, 2015, in Paris, France.
A climate meeting taking place in Nairobi under the auspices of the Vatican African Conference on Climate Resilience heard yesterday that nearly all commitments made in the Paris Agreement have not been achieved.
Deadline approaching
Joachim von Braun, president of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, observed that with the deadline fast approaching, perhaps the world needs to look toward the next 10 to 20 years, or even the remaining decades of this century, because the situation has not improved over the past decade.
“The financing has not been forthcoming enough,” he said at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Gigiri, where the two-day conference began.
He noted that actions on energy transformation have not progressed fast enough, and most importantly for Africa, the transformation of agri-food systems has not been sufficiently facilitated.
Observing that climate change creates stress and constant worry among populations, von Braun explained that this leads to frustration, which in turn strains economies.
“That’s why in the last 10 years, the growth rates of African economies and rural economies in particular have declined and not increased,” he stated, stressing that addressing these issues urgently is essential for both people and economic stability.
While mitigation efforts are global in scope, he pointed out that adaptation must be taken seriously by local administrations, suggesting three priorities should be emphasised.
“Local governments must have political goodwill, administrative and fiscal authority, and all three aspects can act and serve as the cog for winning the battle against climate change,” he said.
The Paris pact builds upon the climate change Convention and, for the first time, brings nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries. As such, it charts a new course in global climate efforts.
At the ICRAF gathering, global leaders are gathering with a joint mission to chart a roadmap for a climate-resilient Africa, one that prioritises local communities and grassroots actors in climate adaptation efforts.
Equity dimension
The two-day high-level summit brings together scientists, policymakers, local government leaders, church representatives, and community voices. The event is co-convened by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, with support from partners including the Network of African Science Academies.
Dr Wilber Ottichilo, governor of Vihiga county and chair of Kenya’s Environment, Forestry and Climate Change Committee, underscored the equity dimension: “While climate change is a global phenomenon, its impacts vary across countries and communities, with the poorest populations bearing the heaviest burden.”
He explained that because those most affected are local communities who may not understand how climate change developed, it is crucial for governments to take responsibility for addressing these issues.
“Across Africa, communities are already demonstrating that local knowledge, regenerative practices, and nature-based solutions are powerful tools for climate resilience,” said Dr Eliane Ubalijoro, chief executive of the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry.