The expanded summary report from the Climate & SDGs Synergy Conference offers details on how to maximize efforts to achieve climate action and the SDGs.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement in 2015 established a strong foundation for coherent implementation of climate action and sustainable development objectives across all levels and sectors. The multiple inter-linkages between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement indicate that integrated and synergistic implementation of both would lead to many benefits. Such an approach would considerably enhance effectiveness and the quality of outcomes, besides contributing towards more efficient use of resources, greater coherence across sectors and actors, and the formation of novel partnerships.
It is in this context that the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) teamed up, in collaboration with other partners, to organize a Global Conference to strengthen synergies between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement. The Conference took place between 1-3 April in 2019 in the UN City in Copenhagen, bringing together practitioners, experts and policy makers from both developing and developed countries, as well as international resource persons from academia and think tanks, the private sector, NGOs and representatives of relevant UN organizations.
The focus of the Global Conference was to promote joined-up implementation at the global, regional and country levels. Participants identified specific examples to illustrate the potential of synergistic and interlinked approaches towards realizing the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement (including through analyses of National Development Plans, NDCs, NAPs, National Risk Reduction Strategies among others). They also analyzed gaps and challenges (including trade-offs), and in the conference summary document made a set of concrete recommendations for strengthening synergies, increasing ambition, advancing implementation action, maximizing co-benefits and stimulating multi-stakeholder partnerships, including directing means of implementation towards more joined-up action; as well as scaling up and enhancing the mobilization of resources that could benefit sustainable development at large including climate action, as well as ensuring effective use of resources and avoiding duplication.
UN DESA and UNFCCC established this global knowledge platform on the Climate-SDGs synergies building on all the inputs received from the conference to continually disseminate knowledge and good practice.
We sincerely hope that the platform will contribute to the better understanding and more effective promotion of synergies between climate action and sustainable development.
Liu Zhenmin
Under-Secretary-General
Department of Economic and Social Affairs
United Nations |
Patricia Espinosa
Executive Secretary
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
The Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (informally the Climate & SDGs Synergy Conference), organized by UN DESA and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate, Denmark, aims to align the climate and SDG processes, and stimulate action from stakeholders at the global, regional and country levels to maximize co-benefits. Limiting global warming to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels, including through scaling up climate action towards both adaptation and mitigation, is an imperative critical to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. The conference will examine how best to advance joined-up efforts for both the SDGs and climate action at the global, regional and country levels, thus also helping to scale up levels of ambition towards these objectives.
Participants at this Conference, to be held from 1 to 3 April in Copenhagen, will identify specific examples to illustrate the potential of synergistic and interlinked approaches towards realizing the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, including through analyses of National Development Plans, NDCs, NAPs, National Risk Reduction Strategies among others). They will also analyze gaps and challenges (including trade-offs), and make a set of concrete recommendations for strengthening synergies, increasing ambition, advancing implementation action, maximizing co-benefits and stimulating multi-stakeholder partnerships. These will include directing means of implementation towards more joined-up action; as well as scaling up and enhancing the mobilization of resources that could benefit sustainable development at large including climate action, as well as ensuring effective use of resources and avoiding duplication.
These discussions will advance synergies in implementation towards the SDGs and climate action, and will be considered as part of the review of SDG 13 Climate Action during its in-depth review at the 2019 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in July. In addition, the conference expects to help raise ambition towards new or updated NDCs by 2020. The Conference will also provide a unique opportunity for peer-to-peer exchange of information and experiences. It is anticipated that implementing partners will be motivated to translate these into concrete results on the ground, and follow-up events could also be held to continue peer-to-peer learning and exchanges.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development sub-fund and UN Office for Sustainable Development
SDG 7 Technical Advisory Group (SDG7 -TAG)
Master of Ceremonies: Ms. Isabel Raya, UN DESA
The session will explore, through technical presentations and interactive panel discussions, policies and strategies that have realized co-benefits; tools and approaches available for analyzing interlinkages and supporting synergistic implementation of climate action – the state of the art; and the means of implementation towards joined-up action.
Mr. Daniele Violetti, Director, UNFCCC
Mr. Nebojsa Nakicenovic, Acting Deputy Director General and CEO, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA); Lead Author of Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC
This session will share findings from desk studies focused on providing HLPF/SDG context incl VNRs and how they could help promote synergies with climate action both in adaptation and mitigation including through NDCs at the country level.
Mr. Shantanu Mukherjee, Chief, Integrated Policy Analysis Branch, DESA
Mr. David O’Connor, Sustainable Economist, SDG Delivery Team, WRIMs. Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University
Interactive dialogues on measures and actions on finance, that promote integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs.
Mr. Måns Nilsson, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute
Interactive dialogues on measures and actions on finance, that promote integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs..
Mr. Pa Ousman Jarju, Director, Division of Country Programming. Green Climate Fund
Interactive dialogues on measures and actions on finance, that promote integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs.
Dr. Flavia Schlegel, Special Envoy for Science in Global Policy, International Science Council
Discussions and interactive dialogues on how the principle of “no one left behind” is being mainstreamed into national development plans, institutional structures and coordination mechanisms related to SDGs, NDCs and Sendai framework.
Discussions and interactive dialogues on how the principle of “no one left behind” is being mainstreamed into national development plans, institutional structures and coordination mechanisms related to SDGs, NDCs and Sendai framework.
Mr. Jukka Uosukainen, Director, Climate Technology Centre and Network
Discussions and interactive dialogues on how the principle of “no one left behind” is being mainstreamed into national development plans, institutional structures and coordination mechanisms related to SDGs, NDCs and Sendai framework.
Mr. Moustapha Kamal Gueye, Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, Enterprises Department, International Labour Organization
Mr. Benjamin Schachter, Climate Change Focal Point, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Benjamin Schachter - OHCHR
A World Bank Energy Knowledge Hub organized Event in the 1st Global Conference on Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement
Rohit Khanna – Manager, World Bank Energy Sector Management Assistance Program
Elisa Portale – Senior Energy Specialist, Coordinator ESMAP Knowledge Hub
Elisa Portale, World Bank Energy Knowledge Hub Team Leader, eportale@worldbank.org
Ms. Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI School of Advances Studies
Mr. José Alberto Alderete, General Director, ITAIPU, Paraguay
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
Interactive discussion with the panellists.
James Hasselip - UNEP-DTU
Carlos Fuller, AOSIS Lead Negotiator on Climate Change
Ms. Anya Thomas, Economic Officer - SIDS Unit, Division for Sustainable Development Goal (DSDG), UN-DESA, thomasa@un.org
Ms. Connie Hedegaard, Chairman of the Board, CONCITO
H.E. Mr. Michał Kurtyka, Secretary of State, Minister of Environment, Poland, COP24 President
Mr. Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Ocean
Ms. Marjeta Jager, Deputy Director-General, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
To support efforts to implement the Paris Agreement and to increase ambition and climate action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will bring world leaders, from government, finance, business, and civil society to the Climate Action Summit on 23 September 2019. At this Special Event panelists will share the vision for the Climate Summit and discuss the actions needed and the opportunities available for raising ambition.
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs
Mr. Jarl Krausing, International Director, CONCITO
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Ms. Camilla Bruckner, Director of UNDP Representative Office, Copenhagen
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Mr. Henning Wuester, Director, Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) Director
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Mr. Zitouni Ould-Dada, Deputy Director, Climate and Environment Division, FAO
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Mr. Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit, Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, European Commission
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Prof. Kazuhiko Takeuchi, President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan
Interactive discussions around country cases showcasing integration of climate objectives and a range of SDGs through national policies, strategies and programmes.
Ms. Sharon Lindo, Lead negotiator, Sustainable Development, Alliance of Small Island States
Delivered by Mr. Peter Thomson, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean
To support efforts to implement the Paris Agreement and to increase ambition and climate action, UN Secretary-General António Guterres will bring world leaders, from government, finance, business, and civil society to the Climate Action Summit on 23 September 2019. At this Special Event panelists will share the vision for the Climate Summit and discuss the actions needed and the opportunities available for raising ambition.
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General, UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs
Mr. Jarl Krausing, International Director, CONCITO
This session will take stock of the parallel sessions held the previous days. Moderators of parallel sessions on Day 1 and Day 2 will be invited to share the summaries of their discussions.
Mr. Minoru Takada, Team Leader (Sustainable Energy), Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UN DESA
