The Fifth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development discussed the climate challenge and its impact on other areas linked to the SDGs. It sought to foster an inclusive and holistic approach to addressing and realizing climate goals and the Global Goals.
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting highlights that 2024 has set back-to-back monthly heat records in excess of 1.5°C above pre-industrial average, amplifying the urgency to accelerate action and take stock of progress and challenges faced in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. It is against this backdrop that the conference convened, it notes, under the theme, ‘Building a Just World and Sustainable Planet.’
The conference was aptly set in Rio de Janeiro, where the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, agreed on Agenda 21 – a targeted international development agenda, and adopted the three Rio Conventions on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification. The Climate and SDG Synergies Conference urged participants to “summon the vision and ambition of our predecessors” and “set the course for tangible action ahead of major negotiations taking place under these three UN Conventions in the coming months.”
The conference featured high-level statements, interactive panels, roundtable discussions, and thematic sessions on a range of topics, including:
- How to inspire countries to update their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), taking finance needs into account, ahead of the UN Conference on Climate Change in November;
- How to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs without compromising the commitment to leave no one behind;
- How to empower vulnerable and marginalized populations to become agents of change and formidable decision makers; and
- How to build resilience in cities, encouraging integrated planning and policies.
During these sessions, participants reflected on: the global state of progress on strengthening climate and SDG synergies; bridging the financing divide in addressing the climate challenge; framing the climate challenge through the lens of the SDGs and 2030 Agenda and leaving no one behind; combatting hunger and poverty; and restoring forests.
The 2024 Global Climate and SDG Synergies Conference took place from 5-6 September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It was co-convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and the UNFCCC Secretariat and hosted by the Government of Brazil. [ENB Coverage of Fifth Global Climate and SDG Synergies Conference]
