2026: Special Issue: Ambition vs. Action — Growth, Emissions, and Climate Targets in the Paris Agreement Era
This special issue of Future Earth brings together a coordinated collection of student research from the Master of Environmental Economics and Management program (Fall 2025), examining a central question of the Paris Agreement era: why do emissions trajectories continue to diverge from climate targets?
Using a common IPAT/Kaya analytical framework and World Bank data, each author conducts a national case study to assess how population, economic growth, and technological change interact to shape emissions outcomes. Across major emitting economies and developing nations alike, a consistent pattern emerges—emissions intensity often declines, yet absolute emissions fall too slowly, or continue rising, relative to pledged commitments.
Together, these papers highlight a defining tension of contemporary climate policy: ambition is widespread, but structural transformation remains uneven and gradual. Grounded in empirical analysis rather than policy rhetoric, this collection invites reflection on credibility, timelines, and the pace of decarbonization required to align growth with global climate goals.
