Today, members of the United Nations face an informal deadline regarding their submission of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), detailed reports on their individual plans to both cut greenhouse gas emissions and limit average warming to 2 degrees Celsius or less. The United States is expected to release its plan by the end of the day.

Although some nations plan to release their INDCs closer to the Paris Summit in December, early submission by the U.S. demonstrates a strong committment to action, a committment that many in the U.N. feel has been lacking. As IBES fellow Timmons Roberts noted in ClimateProgress, a publication of ThinkProgress, "The U.S. is seen by the world as the country most needing to take on commitments on climate change, and until about two years ago, the least willing to do so." In the article, Roberts also discusses the benefits of climate change alliances between the United States and developing nations such as China and Mexico.

Read the full article and all of Roberts' comments here.