Infographic: Making Development Sustainable through Climate Action
Opportunities
On the one hand, climate action and development policies can be mutually enhancing. For example: Land restoration, ecosystem protection and climate-smart agriculture reduce emissions and simultaneously secure livelihoods, especially for small-scale producers (SDG2). This will help prevent grievances and conflicts over scarce resources (SDG16).
Threats
On the other, inaction as well as poorly designed climate policies undermines sustainable development. Natural hazards and gradual environmental degradation lead to reversals in poverty reduction, destroy livelihoods, and place communities at risk. For example: Climate change is likely to disrupt food security (SDG2) and water availability (SDG6). As women bear a disproportionate burden with respect to providing for food and water, climate change can undermine gender equality (SDG5). Conversely, unsustainable agricultural practices and food waste accelerate climate change.
Climate Diplomacy
Climate diplomacy can help integrate climate change and development policies. Diplomats can assist by positioning the interlinkages between climate and development on the agenda of governments, international and regional organisations, private sector and civil society. Communicating the strong linkages between Paris and the SDGs and promoting integrated approaches will foster policy coordination between different actors.
Priorities
- Well-designed policies to reduce emissions and build resilience to climate impacts provide benefits to social and economic development.
- To achieve peace, climate risks need to be part of early warning and risk assessments. Building resilience to climate change is an integral part of crisis prevention and a priority for effective foreign policy.
- Development policies should not undermine delicate ecosystems and climate targets. Development projects, e.g. in infrastructure, need to anticipate long-term adverse climate impacts and seek to minimise them.
- Mobilising climate finance is necessary to achieve the multiple climate and development goals. So is reducing unsustainable investments in high-carbon development paths and infrastructures.
