Climate-related SDGs
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted approximately a month and a half before the Paris Agreement was reached. Consequently, while climate action was encompassed within the SDGs before the international community finalized the specific targets of the Paris Agreement, the climate goals outlined in the SDGs are more broad and general in nature compared to those delineated in the Paris Agreement.
The United Nations recognizes that all global sustainability frameworks are complementary and mutually reinforcing. The overarching objective of climate-related SDGs is to advance the objectives of the Paris Agreement, given their pivotal role in the context of climate action. The Paris Agreement acknowledges that developing countries bear less historical responsibility for climate change and are more vulnerable to its impacts. Consequently, it calls upon developed countries to provide financial resources for the implementation of climate-related initiatives.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris Climate Agreement, finalized on December 12, 2015, in Paris, France, during the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, was later ratified by 190 countries, officially taking effect on November 4, 2016. Notably, seven countries - Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Eritrea, Libya, South Sudan, and Yemen - have yet to ratify the agreement.
This landmark accord sets forth three primary objectives:
To curtail global warming to well below 2°C compared to preindustrial levels, with a target of limiting the increase to 1.5°C. Currently, global temperatures have risen by an estimated 1.2°C.
To enhance resilience and adaptive capacity in facing climate change impacts, while fostering low greenhouse gas emissions development that does not compromise food production.
To align financial flows with a trajectory toward low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development.
Comprising 15 articles, the Agreement delineates essential infrastructure and mechanisms to achieve these goals, including provisions for carbon markets, climate finance, technology innovation, capacity building, education, transparency, and compliance.
A distinctive feature of the Paris Agreement is its bottom-up approach. Unlike previous endeavors, where global targets were predetermined and allocated among nations, the Paris Agreement empowers countries to set their own realistic targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The UNFCCC stipulates that the Agreement operates on a five-year cycle of increasingly ambitious climate action by countries. Consequently, nations periodically revise and enhance their NDCs every five years to drive greater ambition over time.
While the Paris Agreement is a legally binding treaty, it incorporates a blend of legally binding and non-binding provisions. While parties are obligated to submit NDCs, the Agreement lacks specific enforcement mechanisms for countries that fail to fulfill their commitments.
Climate-related SDGs target are :
Target 1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
The primary focus of the first target in the climate goal is adaptation, prioritizing the well-being of individuals within the climate discourse. Should the global temperature surpass the 1.5°C threshold, it is projected that the livelihoods of over 3 billion people would be jeopardized by exacerbated heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires, rising sea levels, and food shortages.
Adaptation, as defined by the UNFCCC, encompasses adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to current or anticipated climatic conditions and their consequences. Acknowledging the reality of climate change, it is imperative to implement alterations in processes, practices, and structures to mitigate potential harm to both human populations and ecosystems. Adaptation strategies vary widely, encompassing initiatives such as constructing flood defenses, establishing early warning systems for cyclones, transitioning to drought-resistant crops, and reconfiguring communication networks, business protocols, and governmental policies.
This target's progress is evaluated using three key indicators:
The number of fatalities, missing persons, and directly impacted individuals attributable to disasters per 100,000 population.
The number of nations that adopt and enforce national disaster risk reduction strategies aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
The percentage of local governments implementing local disaster risk reduction strategies consistent with national disaster risk reduction strategies.
Target 2 : Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
It is assessed through two indicators:
The presence of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, and national adaptation plans.
Adaptation communications submitted to the UNFCCC, along with total greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Despite efforts to regulate climate policy, global emissions continue to escalate. In 2022, global CO2 emissions surged by 1.5% compared to 2021, reaching 36.1 GtCO2. The year 2020 presented an anomaly due to the pandemic, witnessing a remarkable 5.4% reduction in emissions, only to rebound swiftly thereafter.
To contextualize these figures, the world possesses a carbon budget of 250 giga tonnes to maintain a 50% likelihood of staying under 1.5°C of warming. However, recent estimates indicate that our 2022 emissions have consumed 13%-36% of the remaining carbon budget allocated for this goal, suggesting that permissible emissions could be exhausted within 2-7 years, with projected depletion by 2029.
Target 3 : Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
Climate change education, such as global citizenship education and education for sustainable development, has been integrated into national education policies, curricula, teacher training programs, and student assessments. The aim is to enhance public understanding of and response to the climate crisis, equipping individuals with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary to catalyze change. However, in practice, the evaluation often focuses more on the incorporation of climate issues within educational frameworks rather than broader sustainability topics.
In summary, the key methods for implementing climate action include:
Fulfilling the commitment made by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to mobilize $100 billion annually by 2020 from all funding sources. This funding is intended to support the needs of developing countries in implementing meaningful mitigation actions, ensuring transparency in implementation, and expediting the full capitalization of the Green Climate Fund.
Promoting mechanisms to enhance the capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states. These efforts should prioritize the empowerment of women, youth, and local and marginalized communities.