Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to the launch of the 2024 Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergy.
Allow me to thank the UNFCCC Secretariat, who are co-organizers of this special event with my department.
Thank you also to the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy for the work put into this latest report.
And I thank those delegates and government officials who are champions of this work - leading efforts to bring synergistic thinking into diplomacy and government at both national and international levels.
Excellencies,
We stand at a pivotal moment in history, where the convergence of two global crises—the climate emergency and the lagging progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—demands our immediate and concerted action.
These two crises are strongly interconnected. The evidence is clear.
The effects of climate change on ecosystems, economies, and societies hinder our ability to make meaningful SDG progress.
Eighty per cent of SDG targets are linked to climate.
Rising sea levels and extreme weather events displace communities, disrupt livelihoods, and exacerbate poverty.
Droughts and floods jeopardize food security and water resources, undermining our efforts to end hunger and ensure access to clean water and sanitation.
Likewise, the pursuit of the SDGs without considering climate change runs the risk of maladaptation and unsustainable development approaches.
As highlighted by the Expert Group in their 2024 report, there is no better way to tackle a convergence of crises than with a convergence of action.
But what does that convergence look like? What are those areas of synergy and what are the best entry points for effective policy integration?
The Expert Group proposes ways to break down the fragmentation and silos that they see as a major obstacle preventing transformative solutions.
Among them are the need to bridge financial gaps and align financial systems with both climate and SDG considerations. Integrated funding models are needed to align climate finance with SDGs.
Later this year, at COP29 in Baku, we need to agree on a new target for climate finance. We need a new deal between developed and developing countries to close the ambition gap and keep us on course for the 1. 5-degree goal in a just and equitable manner.
Effective policy frameworks are also key. By integrating climate considerations into development strategies, we can unlock a multitude of co-benefits that accelerate progress on both fronts.
An important opportunity for integration lies ahead in 2025, as countries prepare new and enhanced climate commitments under the Paris Agreement in the form of nationally determined contributions. These can and should include action also addressing SDGs, such as more equitable access to clean energy, jobs, better health, sustainable food sources and gender opportunities.
We can look forward to further advancing our attention to climate-SDG synergies at the Fifth Global Conference on Climate and SDG Synergies coming up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 5-6 September. With the leadership of countries like Denmark, Japan, and now Brazil, as hosts of the Global Synergy Conferences, engagement on this issue has gathered momentum among governments, thought leaders and other stakeholders.
But none of this can work well with a broken multilateral system. The Summit of the Future in September will aim to address the inequities of the global financial system. It will be an opportunity to rebuild trust in the multilateral system as one with the best interest of humanity in mind.
Deep transformative changes are needed, and this report shows that we have the solutions to make this possible.
Let us take heed of the Experts call that, “synergistic action must be at the heart of this transformation,” to ensure the future we want.
Thank you.