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Cutting emissions · Paris Agreement agenda, item 6

Should countries keep their joint programme for cutting emissions faster?

Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme

Each country writes its own plan for cutting emissions. Added together, they are still not enough to keep warming close to 1.5°C.

Since 2022 countries have had a joint programme to look for faster cuts, sector by sector. It was set up to run until 2026, so at COP31 they decide whether to keep it and in what form.

Whether to continue the mitigation work programme beyond 2026, and its scope and modalities if continued.

Established at CMA 3 and operationalised at CMA 4 (Sharm el-Sheikh) to run until 2026, with a decision on its continuation due at CMA 8.

The CMA 7 outcome on the programme was limited, noting opportunities in sectors such as forests and waste.

Talks resume on 9 NovemberResumes at COP31, 9 November

Why it matters

It is one of the few places where countries discuss cutting emissions together rather than each on their own.

How we got here

2021
COP26, Glasgow
Countries ask for a programme to scale up emission cuts urgently, and agree to "phase down" unabated coal.
2022
COP27, Sharm el-Sheikh
The is set up, to run until 2026, and declared "non-prescriptive": it cannot set targets.
2023
COP28, Dubai
The first calls for "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems".
2025
COP30, Belém
A limited outcome. Over 80 countries back a roadmap away from fossil fuels, but it stays outside the official text.
2026
June talks, Bonn
Bonn ended without agreement. Several countries, including India and the Arab Group, oppose extending the programme, and the question was passed on to COP31. Source

Where COP31 picks up: The joint programme was set up to run until 2026. Bonn could not agree whether to keep it; COP31 decides.

Have COPs worked? The bigger picture →

What they will argue aboutOpen issues

Keep it or end it? Some countries want it stronger, others see it as a way to pressure them and want it to end.
Should it have targets? Whether it can point to things like moving away from fossil fuels, or only share ideas.

Continuation. Extension, revised mandate or conclusion of the programme.
Non-prescriptive nature. Whether outcomes can reference sectoral or global goals.

Agenda items

Paris Agreement agenda, item 6Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme

From the provisional agendas, FCCC/CP/2026/1 and FCCC/PA/CMA/2026/1. Draft texts, versions and bracket counts appear here once talks open.

What has happened so farStatus log

This question carries on from COP30 (see How we got here, above). Talks resume on 9 November: from then, every new draft and every change of status is listed here, with the time and a link to the document.

Only on WhatTheCOP

Want to hear it discussed? Pavilion sessions on this

Tue 10 Nov · 16:30Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels: National Roadmaps for a Resilient and Competitive Future
German Climate Pavilion Wed 11 Nov · 13:30From energy vulnerability to energy security: Moving from fossil fuels to wind as a climate turning point
Denmark Pavilion Wed 11 Nov · 13:45A5 – SECURING ENERGY, SUSTAINING THE FUTURE: ADVANCING INDONESIA'S UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS DUAL MANDATE
Indonesia Pavilion Thu 12 Nov · 16:15Using Experiences from Long-Term Strategies to Unlock Equitable and Credible Transitions Away from Fossil Fuels
Regional Climate Foundations Pavilion Fri 13 Nov · 13:45A3 – ACCELERATING COAL-TO-CLEAN TRANSITIONS: FROM PLANS TO DELIVERY
Indonesia Pavilion Sat 14 Nov · 13:45Sunrise on Solar, Sunset on Fossil Fuels: Powering Growth through a Just Energy Transition
Regional Climate Foundations Pavilion

The whole programme →