The United Nations Develoment Programme (UNDP) on Thursday at the ongoing UN climate change talks (COP22) formally launched the 2nd edition of its flagship report on climate change, this time focusing on the impact of development gains. Specifically, the report, titled: “UNDP: Scaling up Climate Action to Achieve the SDGs”, looks at how local efforts to mitigate and adapt to change empowers communities across a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including education, healthcare, food security and gender empowerment.
“We have long known that sustainable development are inextricably linked,” notes Magdy Martinez-Soliman, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Assistant Administrator. “What this report does, possibly for the first time, is really showcase how each of the actions taken to address has profound and concrete results that benefit human, social and economic development.”
Showcasing UNDP’s rich climate portfolio and country examples, the report provides a compelling narrative on how action on climate change positively contributes to the achievement of the SDGs. Through vivid infographics, the report illustrates how UNDP’s nearly 800 climate change programmes – covering a $2.8 billion portfolio across 140+ countries in five regions – are contributing to achievement of each and every one of the 17 SDGs.
Since 2008, UNDP has assisted more than 140 countries, including all the 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and 39 Small Island Developing State (SIDS), to access climate grant finance. Nearly 40% of the portfolio is contributing to adaptation efforts – the largest portfolio with around US$ 1billion. Mitigation action, including both sustainable energy and aforests, amount to 30% and 22% respectively; while cross-cutting issues such as finance, capacity building, policy and institutional strengthening, and support to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement – the so-called NDCs – amount to around 11% of the portfolio.
“Thanks to the Paris Agreement, we now have a path for the world to work together on an integrated solution to climate change,” notes Martinez-Soliman. “It is now our responsibility to work with our partners to follow this path and to help achieve climate and development priorities.”
Launched on the sidelines of the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Paries (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakech, the report reiterates UNDP’s key message going into the conference – the deal is done; the time to act is now.
