New ACCLIMATE Report: How the Global Stocktake Shapes National Climate Commitments

How have the outcomes of the first Global Stocktake (GST1) informed countries' latest climate commitments and domestic policies? And what lessons can be drawn for the design and implementation of the second Global Stocktake?

A new report developed under the ACCLIMATE project examines these questions, focusing on the relationship between the Global Stocktake, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and domestic climate mitigation measures.

Under the Paris Agreement, the five-year cycle of Global Stocktakes and subsequent NDC submissions is intended to connect global climate objectives with national action. Parties are expected to take the outcomes of the Global Stocktake into account when preparing their successive NDCs and strengthening their climate efforts.

Assessing how GST1 has informed national climate action

The report undertakes an analysis at two levels.

First, it examines 113 NDCs submitted by 31 May 2026, assessing the extent to which countries have incorporated selected mitigation outcomes of GST1 into their updated commitments. The analysis considers both explicit references to the Global Stocktake and the inclusion of its substantive priorities without direct attribution. It also examines whether the strength of the language used in the GST1 decision is associated with the extent to which its outcomes are reflected in NDCs.

Second, the report presents three in-depth case studies of Brazil, the European Union, and Nigeria, representing different economic and political contexts. These case studies investigate the framework conditions and political processes that influenced how GST1 outcomes were included, or not included, in national commitments and domestic policies.

Key findings: Recognition does not always translate into implementation

The analysis finds that GST1 is widely recognised in the latest round of NDCs, with almost all reviewed contributions explicitly mentioning the Global Stocktake.

However, the extent to which its individual mitigation outcomes have been incorporated varies considerably.

The report finds that many NDCs address priorities consistent with GST1 without explicitly linking them to its outcomes. Furthermore, references to GST1 are not always accompanied by concrete policies, implementation measures, or measurable targets.

The three country studies demonstrate that the influence of GST1 depends strongly on national circumstances. Domestic economic structures, legal and political frameworks, development priorities, international financing needs, and stakeholder involvement all shape how countries interpret and incorporate global climate commitments.

While Brazil, the EU, and Nigeria demonstrate substantial alignment with GST1 in their NDCs, the underlying political and economic factors driving this alignment differ significantly.

Overall, the findings suggest that GST1 has primarily served as a general frame of reference for many countries, while its translation into specific national commitments and measures remains uneven.

Recommendations for the Second Global Stocktake

Based on the analysis, the report identifies seven key recommendations to strengthen the impact of GST2:

• Streamline the process and strengthen political coordination: Focus on concrete implementation barriers and solutions, improve links between technical findings and political outcomes, and maintain political engagement throughout the process.
• Provide actionable, country-specific guidance: Develop concrete milestones, sectoral pathways and indicators that reflect different national circumstances and implementation challenges.
• Integrate climate action with development priorities: Connect climate commitments with economic development, industrial competitiveness, energy security and infrastructure, while considering wider sustainable development impacts.
• Address equity and emerging political challenges: Confront the implications of exceeding the 1.5°C threshold, historical responsibility and geopolitical realities, while giving greater prominence to adaptation, resilience, and loss and damage.
• Strengthen links to climate finance: Connect implementation priorities with financing, technology transfer and capacity-building, and help direct investment towards developing countries' transition needs.
• Broaden participation and national ownership: Involve businesses, financial institutions, subnational governments and civil society, particularly actors responsible for implementing climate commitments.
• Leverage the COP Action Agenda: Use existing initiatives and climate coalitions to encourage implementation of GST outcomes, monitor progress and strengthen engagement beyond national governments.

Read the full report here.