Background
Despite the ambitious goals set in 2015 with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, our current trajectory suggests we are falling short. Urgent action is needed to address the challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequality. Reclaiming the vision of 2015 requires innovative solutions and a reassessment of our current challenges and opportunities towards 2030 and beyond.
Since 2019, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been leading efforts to promote climate and SDG synergy as the linchpin for addressing our current challenges and realizing an equitable future. The first global report developed by the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy and called upon by the co-convening organizations, titled “Synergy Solutions for a World in Crisis: Tackling Climate and SDG Action Together,” underscored the importance of pursuing synergies to enhance collective resilience against global crises, promote institutional capacity building, ensure policy coherence, and address investment gaps. The report revealed that maximizing synergies could bridge investment gaps worth trillions of dollars, optimizing resource allocation to address immense financial challenges for climate and development objectives. By harnessing the potential of climate and SDG synergy, we can chart a course towards the 2030 we want.
The upcoming critical milestones include the UN Secretary-General Summit for the Future in September 2024, which calls upon all policymakers and stakeholders to present course-changing solutions for mobilizing political and financial actions to combat the climate crisis and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The road to COP29 and then COP30 will entail a series of crucial decisions including by setting a new goal on climate finance and the submission of updated and more ambitious NDCs. The integration of SDGs, together with key principles of just transition and leaving no one behind, will be critical to achieve successful outcomes. To this end, building evidence and providing a roadmap for synergistic solutions is needed now more than ever to support the success of these processes. The 5th Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergy in September 2024, to be hosted by the Government of Brazil in the margins of G20 meetings, will bridge the political discussion with practical solutions presented as the main findings of the new, 2024 report by the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy.
Launch of the 2024 Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergy
Building on the outcomes of the first Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergy, the second report, prepared by the Expert Group with input from over 100 world experts, is a practical response to uncovering challenges and opportunities for revitalizing action towards just and equitable societies on a healthy planet. The report suggests an adaptable and transformative course of action, tailored to current and future global challenges—a pathway characterized by synergistic action. This important analytical piece, with its key 4 thematic areas on policy instruments, knowledge and data, financial mechanisms and cities platforms, will provide a roadmap for policymakers with concrete policy recommendations on how to realize synergistic climate and SDG actions on the ground.
The special event will launch the 2024 Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergies, presenting actionable solutions for key upcoming discussions. It will highlight key messages and recommendations from the report, showcasing practical examples of these recommendations in action by Member States, civil society, and the private sector. The event will serve as a platform to initiate new potential collaborations for synergistic action and reflect on how this work can support policymakers and practitioners.
Announcements
Draft Concept Note is now available here.
