Knowledge on the determinants of more or less ambitious climate policies on the country level is still limited, especially with regards to the 2015 Paris Agreement to mitigate global climate change. This is a significant knowledge gap, especially given the review of many contributions to the Paris Agreement due in 2021. I analyse why some countries make insufficient pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Agreement, while other countries pursue more ambitious climate change mitigation goals. Using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), the study finds that economic recession, dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation, and levels of development are strong predictors of insufficient climate policies. These results are worrisome in the context of the economic recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the continued predominance of fossil fuels in the world’s energy mix.

关于国家层面或多或少雄心勃勃的气候政策决定因素的知识仍然有限，尤其是在有关减轻全球气候变化的2015年巴黎协定方面。这是一个巨大的知识鸿沟，尤其是考虑到对2021年《巴黎协定》的许多贡献进行了审查之后，我分析了为什么一些国家没有做出足够的承诺来减少《巴黎协定》下的温室气体排放，而其他国家却在追求更大的缓解气候变化的雄心壮志。目标。使用定性比较分析（QCA），研究发现经济衰退，对化石燃料的能源依赖以及发展水平是气候政策不足的有力预测因素。