UN Climate Talks: Focusing on 2025 Goals

Intermediate | June 2, 2025

✨ 혼자서 기사를 소리 내어 읽거나 튜터를 따라 각 단락을 반복해서 읽으세요. 레벨...

What’s Happening with Climate Goals in 2025?

Global Meetings for UN Climate Talks 2025 Sustainability Goals

Big meetings are happening this year where countries are talking about climate change and what they plan to do about it. The United Nations is helping to organize these talks. The main idea is to focus on goals for 2025 and the coming years to help the planet.

The Paris Agreement and National Climate Plans

One of the most important things being discussed is how countries will meet the targets they agreed to in the Paris Agreement from 2015. This agreement aims to keep the Earth’s temperature from rising too much. To do this, countries need to have strong plans, called Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.

Why Are These Talks Important Now?

Urgency from Scientists and Global Warming Limits

These talks are happening because scientists are saying that we need to act faster to stop global warming. The goal is to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but we are getting close to that limit already. The UN Secretary-General has said that the world is seeing “climate breakdown” now.

2025 as a Key Year for Updating Climate Goals

Countries are expected to update their climate plans every five years, and 2025 is one of those important years. This is a chance for nations to make their plans stronger and show how they will reduce greenhouse gas pollution. It’s also about making sure countries can deal with the effects of climate change, like extreme heat.

Helping Developing Countries with Climate Finance

Financing climate action, especially for developing countries, is also a big part of the discussions. These countries often suffer the most from climate change but have contributed the least to the problem. Getting enough money to help them adapt and transition to cleaner energy is a key challenge.

Vocabulary

Negotiations (noun): Formal discussions between people or groups who are trying to reach an agreement.
- Example: “The climate negotiations are happening in Bonn, Germany, this month.”
Sustainability (noun): The ability to exist constantly. In environmental terms, it means using natural resources without finishing them, so they are available for the future.
- Example: “The company is working on improving its sustainability practices.”
Goals (noun): Aims or purposes; things you hope to achieve.
- Example: “The UN climate talks have specific goals for reducing emissions.”
Paris Agreement (proper noun): An international agreement signed in 2015 that aims to limit global warming.
- Example: “The Paris Agreement is a very important step in fighting climate change.”
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) (noun): Climate action plans created by each country under the Paris Agreement.
- Example: “Countries are submitting new NDCs this year to show their climate goals.”
Greenhouse gas emissions (noun): Gases, like carbon dioxide, that trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global warming.
- Example: “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to stop climate change.”
Global warming (noun): The gradual increase in the Earth’s average temperature, usually caused by greenhouse gases.
- Example: “Scientists are concerned about the rate of global warming.”
Adaptation (noun): The process of changing to deal with a new situation, like the effects of climate change.
- Example: “Communities need support for adaptation to extreme weather.”
Mitigation (noun): Actions taken to reduce the severity of something, in this case, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to lessen climate change.
- Example: “Both mitigation and adaptation are needed to tackle the climate crisis.”
Finance (noun): Money used to pay for something, especially for large-scale projects or programs.
- Example: “Climate finance is needed to help developing countries.”

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What are the main goals of the UN climate talks happening in 2025?
Why is 2025 an important year for countries to update their climate plans?
What are Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and why are they important?
According to the article, what is a key challenge in helping developing countries with climate action?
What did the UN Secretary-General say about the current climate situation?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

What are some things that cause climate change?
How does climate change affect your local area or country?
What can individuals or communities do to help fight climate change?
Why might it be difficult for different countries to agree on climate goals?
What do you think is the most important step to take to address climate change?

Related Idiom

“Window of opportunity”

Meaning: A short period of time when it is possible to do something that you want to do.
Example: “The UN talks represent a ‘window of opportunity’ to make stronger climate commitments.”

📢 Want more practical tips to improve your English while learning about today’s important topics? Sign up for the All About English Mastery Newsletter!

Follow our YouTube Channel @All_About_English for more great insights and tips.

This article was inspired by: Al Jazeera, May 26, 2025