Climate Action Tracker: Countries
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APCivics, Geography
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Climate Action Tracker
What it is
- This comprehensive platform tracks countries' emissions targets and places each country into one of the following categories: critically insufficient, highly insufficient, insufficient, almost sufficient, and Paris Agreement compatible.
- Students can research individual countries to see details about historical emissions, modelled domestic pathways, fair share targets, and other details.
Teaching tips
Prerequisites:
- Ensure students are familiar with the Paris Agreement and its targets. Consider using this lesson plan first.
- Consider defining the following terms:
- NDC - Nationally Determined Contribution, or what a country pledges to do to cut its own emissions
- LULUCF - Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry, or how humans' use of land and forests emits or releases carbon dioxide (further explanation about LULUCF from the United Nations)
- MtCO2e / year - million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent released per year
Classroom Implementation:
- Walk students through the use of the interactive resource and its features, including the buttons for how to read the graph and download the data, and the accompanying explanatory text with background information on the country.
- Have each student select one country to research and report on to the rest of the class.
Differentiation:
- Group students to explore the data.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Social Studies:
- Students select one country and conduct research on their NDC.
- Discuss the historic responsibility of industrialized countries' emissions and how best to decarbonize the world (i.e., have rich, industrialized countries financially assist poor, developing countries to decarbonize and gain access to renewable energy).
- Math:
- Students analyze the graphs for individual countries and try to design better, more user-friendly graphs.
Related Resources:
- Use this Hot Mess video about responsibility for climate change as a hook for exploring this resource.
- Students take this interactive ClimateScience course before or after studying the Climate Action Tracker.
From the scientist review
Setting ambitious net zero targets can guide the implementation of Paris-aligned actions in the short and medium-term, in particular, 2030 emissions reduction goals. This tracker offers a platform that announces and evaluates nationally determined contributions (NDCs) from countries and sectors aimed at reducing CO2 levels to achieve 1.5°C, a little above the preindustrial limit. Students would gain insights on emission gaps, assessment and evaluation of benchmarks, and compatible pathways to an equitable, nuanced, and transparent net zero. Above all, this resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on climateactiontracker.org
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