Ten Years After Paris Agreement, Direction of Travel on Global Climate Action is Clear—But We Must Dramatically Pick Up the Pace

WASHINGTON, DC (December 12, 2025) – Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the landmark Paris Climate Agreement, which charted a new course in the effort to combat global climate change, and continues to reverberate today as clean energy dominates new energy production around the world and countries sharpen their efforts to confront the climate crisis. 

Following is a statement from Yamide Dagnet, Senior Vice President of the International Department at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):

“Ten years after the historic Paris climate agreement, the world is moving toward an unstoppable, more prosperous future. While we must dramatically pick up the pace, the direction of travel is clear.

“That said, the record floodings in Southeast Asia and powerful hurricanes in the Caribbean serve as compounding reminders of the impact of our delayed actions. No one can deny that we need to press the accelerator for bolder, faster actions. But we cannot let that frustration fog our memory of just how transformative the Paris agreement was—and the transitions it has sparked globally in all sectors of our economy.

“It’s a loss for the United States that their administration's leadership is not fully seizing these opportunities—and the economic benefits, competitiveness that come with them, from lower energy costs, avoided loss of livelihood, to jobs and more resilient and affordable homes. But on the ground, governors, mayors, NGOs, the private sector, have no choice but to move forward and are still charting the path toward a better tomorrow.

“Ten years on, the message is clear: Paris' bending curve must accelerate. The speed of this acceleration will likely be commensurate to the speed of trust among countries, and within nations. Let us cultivate the solidarity and supporting ecosystems to sustain our engagement for the next 10 years. A safe, resilient and equitable future for the people and the planet depends on it.”

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NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).