Issue The Paris 1.5°C goal moving out of reach

Summary

The report holds that the central aim of the Paris Agreement, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, is moving out of reach. The three-year average rise has already passed 1.5 degrees, and the report stresses that each additional tenth of a degree makes the consequences of climate change more severe. Limiting warming therefore matters greatly, yet it is highly uncertain whether the commitments the Netherlands made in its climate accord will actually be met through policy implementation. The United States has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement twice and in early 2026 also left the UN climate convention, creating strategic uncertainty for international cooperation. The report explains that international and multilateral governance has fallen short on emission cuts, and that emphasis is consequently shifting towards adaptation and loss and damage.