Fourth Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies

https://www.un.org/en/climate-sdgs-conference-2023

https://www.un.org/en/climate-sdgs-conference-2023/programme

The Fourth Global Conference will assess progress made against a set of key recommendations emerged from the previous conference, including the need to include principles of just transition at the center of each integrated planning.

Background

The 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world’s plan of action to achieving sustainability and resilience for people and planet, are closely linked with climate. Maximizing on the interlinkages between the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement by leveraging Climate and SDG Synergies, has the potential of achieving both agendas and guaranteeing a livable future for next generations by leaving no one behind.

The First Global Climate and SDGs Synergy Conference, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, emphasized that taking climate and SDG development action simultaneously and in an integrated way is not a theoretical concept, but a practical guideline for all forms of decision making. The success and impact of the conference led to a decision to make this an annual event.

Addressing the urgency for action to pursue synergistic approaches in order to recover better and faster from COVID-19, UN DESA, UNFCCC and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) co-convened a series of three webinars and launched an e-learning course on the theme of ‘Harnessing Climate and SDGs Synergies’. These events pointed to a variety of options for synergistic policy interventions in different sectors using an integrated nexus approach.

Building on the outcomes of the previous Climate and SDGs Synergy milestones, the Third Global Conference on Synergies, held in Tokyo, Japan, provided a unique opportunity to take stock of practical measures that are being implemented to advance climate and SDG synergies in regional, national and subnational efforts, including through COVID recovery plans and the NDCs.

The 2023 upcoming critical milestones such as the High-Level Political Forum, the SDG Summit, and the Global Stocktake at COP28, will assess our collective progress toward meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. These landmark events also serve as moments to take a deep look at synergistic action between these two critical agendas, including on national instruments such as the NDCs and the VNRs, towards just, equitable, and climate compatible pathways.

In this context, the Fourth Global Conference will be a key platform for Member States, UN entities, civil society, academia, business, youth and all multi-stakeholders to come together and align their SDG and climate efforts for an ambitious, strong and practical agenda moving forward. The Fourth Conference will thus assess progress made against a set of key recommendations emerged from the previous conference, including the need to include principles of just transition at the center of each integrated planning.