The State of Climate Action benchmark series, initiated in 2021, assesses global progress toward limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C in line with the Paris Agreement. Developed under the Systems Change Lab, it is a collaboration between organisations including the Bezos Earth Fund, Climate Analytics, ClimateWorks Foundation, the Climate High-Level Champions, and the World Resources Institute.

The series translates the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal into measurable, sector-specific targets and indicators for key areas such as energy, industry, transport, land use, food systems, carbon removal, and finance. It provides a consistent framework to evaluate whether global efforts are advancing at the pace and scale required to align with a 1.5°C pathway.

Each report applies a structured methodology using recent data to measure trends, identify the rate of change needed, and assess progress against 2030 and 2050 targets. The approach combines quantitative analysis with expert assessment, recognising that some sectors may experience non-linear or accelerated transitions due to innovation and policy shifts.

For finance professionals, this benchmark serves as a reference to understand where investment and financial flows are aligned or misaligned with global decarbonisation objectives. It enables users to assess transition risks and opportunities, guide portfolio alignment, and support informed decision-making in sustainable finance and climate-related reporting.