Climate Leaders Press to Lock In Action Agenda Ahead of 2028 Stocktake

A Nov. 13, 2026, COP31 Global Climate Action session became a sustained argument for staying the course. Governments, companies, city leaders and UN officials asked negotiators to keep the six-axis Action Agenda built under Brazil's COP30 presidency and to carry it into the second Global Stocktake. The session took no formal votes, but it delivered two concrete signals: a COP32 presidency adviser said the structure would stay, and presidency speakers pushed a 35-by-35 electrification pledge toward the COP closing text.

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• Continuity for the six-axis Action Agenda dominated the session, and the COP32 presidency adviser said it intends to keep the structure
• Global Implementation Accelerator is now operational, the COP30 team announced
• Amazon, Chefchaouen, Japan, Germany and TÜSİAD offered implementation examples as evidence for the second stocktake
• 35-by-35 pledge: electricity would make up 35% of final energy by 2035, up from 23%
• Speakers are pushing to include the electrification delivery package in the COP closing statement

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Staying Power: Action Agenda Seeks Life Beyond One COP

The basics: The Global Stocktake is the Paris Agreement's periodic assessment of collective climate progress. The second round, known as GST2, concludes at COP33 in 2028. The Action Agenda is the framework that organizes climate work by companies, cities, regions and other actors outside formal negotiations.

Why it matters: COP presidencies rotate every year, and each new host can reshape the agenda. Speakers argued that the implementation evidence gathered now will feed directly into GST2. If the structure changes with every presidency, that evidence base breaks apart.

Where things stand: Speakers praised the structure built by the Brazilian presidency along with its main tools:

• The Yearbook of Global Climate Action
• Data from NAZCA, the UNFCCC's climate action portal
• The new Global Implementation Accelerator, which the COP30 team announced is now operational

Speakers also called for stronger reporting and for country focal points to connect national governments with the agenda. The Marrakesh Partnership and the Climate Club were also part of the discussion.

The most important signal came from the incoming host. The COP32 presidency adviser said the presidency intends to keep the structure. That matters because rotating presidencies have the most power to change it.

Dan Ioschpe, the COP30 Climate High-Level Champion, made the case for continuity in his closing remarks: "You cannot implement solutions on the ground on an 11-month period of time," said Dan Ioschpe, COP30 Climate High-Level Champion.

Evidence from the field: Round 1, moderated by Jaime de Bourbon, Director for Environment, OECD, featured short talks from:

• Amazon
• The mayor of Chefchaouen
• Japan
• Germany
• TÜSİAD, the Turkish business association

They offered examples such as e-freight corridors and city projects as proof that the Action Agenda delivered on the first stocktake. Round 2 turned to how to build the evidence base for GST2. It also included presidency handovers and the High-Level Champion's closing.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The session was informational, and no formal decision was taken. The mix of speakers still shows who has a stake in the outcome:

• Businesses want a stable reporting framework so their commitments count.
• Cities, represented by Chefchaouen's mayor, gain visibility in a process long dominated by national governments.
• National delegations would take on new duties if the proposed country focal points move forward.
• The COP30 team and its Accelerator have the most to gain from institutional continuity.

What's next: Watch whether COP32 formally adopts the six-axis structure. Also watch whether data from the Yearbook and NAZCA becomes standard evidence as GST2 moves toward its 2028 conclusion at COP33.

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The 35-by-35 Bet: Electrification Pledge Seeks a Home in COP Text

The basics: "Final energy" is the energy actually consumed by end users, including cars, buildings and factories. The Global Electrification Pledge aims to have electricity supply 35% of that total by 2035.

Why it matters: Electricity currently accounts for 23% of final energy. Reaching 35% by 2035 would require electrification to move four times faster across transport, buildings and industry. A target like that would affect power grids, building codes and industrial planning, not just diplomatic language.

Where things stand: The session opened with COP31 presidency remarks backing the pledge. Presenters cited supporting evidence from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and C4ALL. They also described an electrification delivery package assembled by partners. Organizations named in connection with the effort include SEforALL, ARENA, UNIDO and Electrify Now. According to the session recap, presidency, UNFCCC and business speakers all backed the package.

The other side: No speaker opposed the pledge during the session. The open question is whether it gains formal standing. A pledge adopted in a side session carries less weight than language in the COP's closing statement.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No vote was taken. One speaker said they would push for the delivery package to appear in the COP closing statement. If that happens, the effects would spread widely:

• Utilities and grid operators would face pressure to expand capacity.
• Clean-energy and equipment makers would see a larger market signal.
• Fossil-dependent sectors in transport, buildings and industry would face a faster transition timeline.

What's next: Watch the final COP closing statement for any reference to the 35-by-35 target or the electrification delivery package.

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Looking Ahead

The COP32 presidency has signaled it will keep the Action Agenda's structure. GST2 concludes at COP33 in 2028. The open question is whether the reporting systems and country focal points speakers called for can be built in time to shape that assessment.