Although we’ve sometimes fallen short of our goals, it’s still important to have them. For many, the Paris Agreement represented the first meaningful step in acknowledging and combating climate change. It establishes long-term objectives, such as limiting global temperature rise and achieving net-zero emissions by a specified date, and it encourages goals at national and local levels as well. 

Understanding climate goals

What exactly are climate goals? Well, they’re targets—such as net-zero emissions—with timelines attached. A couple of examples: “net zero by 2050” and “stop burning fossil fuels by 2030.” These goals make clear the level of ambition required and help determine the scale of effort and investment needed. 

Climate goals can happen at the international level, as the Paris Agreement did, or can be set by individual nations, states, or organizations. Since the Paris Agreement was signed, almost every country has set their own net-zero emissions target. National and local goals are important because those governments have the right to create and manage policies at those levels, but they can enforce them as well.

While climate goals set the vision for action, they do not dictate the specific measures to achieve them. Instead, they provide a framework that guides national and local governments, as well as corporations, in shaping their own policies. In this context, goals are the aspirational targets—what we aim to achieve—while policies are the concrete actions and regulations designed to reach those targets.

From goals to policies

Policies are the specific measures that translate ambitious goals into actionable steps. To better understand this move from goal to policy, let’s look specifically at the layers of government in the United States. 

The United States federal government has power over activities that cross state borders, such as transportation infrastructure, electricity transmission, and air pollution. Therefore, the federal government has the power to make policies related to vehicle manufacturing and sale, electricity transmission standards, and pollution amounts. The federal government can use its purchasing power to support climate-friendly industries—clean energy and low-carbon cement, for example. It can invest in different kinds of research and development for innovations such as drought-tolerant crops and better building materials. 

State governments are also key to translating goals into policies. Like the federal government, they play a role in regulating electricity generation and planning infrastructure and public-works projects. For example, states can enact policies that make it compulsory for electricity utilities companies to invest in renewable energy, and they can choose low-carbon building materials for their projects. 

The role each state government chooses to play varies widely. California, for example, has required that car companies provide electric vehicle options to customers and has implemented a statewide cap-and-trade program for carbon.

Meanwhile, local governments—those at the county or city level—have the power to design climate strategies specific to the needs of their local economy and environment. These governments can regulate how buildings are constructed, requiring more-efficient designs or low-carbon building materials. Local governments can also improve public transportation options and expand electric-vehicle charging infrastructure. For most people, the choices they have to reduce their emissions in their daily lives—the buildings they live in, the energy they use, the transportation they use—are influenced more by their local government than by national or international goals and policies.

Coordinated efforts

International, national, regional, and local climate goals are interconnected. Local governments, in setting ambitious goals, can push state and national governments by raising expectations. National governments can regulate or give different amounts of authority to state and local governments, and can influence global policy as well. Investment or experimentation with solutions at any level can inform goals at other levels. This coordinated approach is essential for effectively transitioning from broad goals to concrete actions.

Not only governments, but companies, nonprofit organizations, and industry groups also set their own climate goals and develop corresponding policies. For example, initiatives like Architecture 2030 set industry-specific targets—such as making all new buildings carbon neutral by 2030—which then guide investment decisions and policy advocacy.

So, while climate goals provide the vision and targets for reducing emissions and mitigating climate change, policies are the tangible actions and regulations that turn these goals into reality. Both elements are crucial: goals inspire and direct collective ambition, and policies ensure that ambition is met with effective, enforceable measures. Together, they form a comprehensive strategy for overcoming the challenges of climate change.