Highlights and images for 30 June 2026

“What are synergies in practice? Beyond collaborative or integrated approaches, they are mechanisms for achieving greater impact than the sum of their parts.”  On the second day of the Seventh Global Conference on Climate and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Synergies, participants turned to the heart of the matter: how to design and deliver impactful and cascading solutions to compounding planetary crises.   

A high-level session in the morning emphasized the link between recommitting to the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with regaining peace, solidarity, sustainability, and prosperity. Via video message, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed noted the commitments of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, to protect people and the planet, are connected promises. Alongside Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN, and President, UN Economic and Social Council, she underlined that when climate action and development plans unite, public expenditure can be 40% more effective, thereby contributing to closing the finance gap.  

Participants heard from Ministers of the Environment and high-level government representatives from the Asia-Pacific region, who converged on the need to break silos, including within ministerial cabinets, to implement efficient solutions. Geeta Chaudhary, Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Environment, Nepal, stressed that synergies can guide investments toward delivering multiple, reinforcing, cross-sectoral benefits.  

Darika Sarunyagate, Advisor to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand, underscored international cooperation as a vital mechanism for improving policy coherence and accelerating implementation. Anton Jayakody, Deputy Minister of Environment, Sri Lanka, called for international solidarity, stressing that prosperity can only be achieved through integrated action and partnerships.  

Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change, China, recommended, among others: scaling up support to developing countries that is tailored to national contexts; striking a balanced approach between energy security and decarbonization; and establishing an inclusive, just transition mechanism.

During a segment on fiscal policies and sustainable financing for synergistic solutions, panelists delved into the implications of current geopolitical tensions on climate finance and the role of debt-based instruments in closing the financing gap. Among others, speakers highlighted: how low-carbon technology can mitigate climate shocks affecting small-scale farmers; innovative approaches to reducing perceived and actual investment risk; and the importance of transitioning away from fossil fuel dependence, considering recent conflict-induced global energy price shocks.  

In a special event, the first Asia-Pacific Synergies Report was launched. By video link, Hirotaka Ishihara, Minister of the Environment, Japan, noted the report provides practical guidance for policymakers and practitioners, alongside a wealth of case studies on synergistic actions for climate and development from across the region. The report further outlines four entry points for transformation pathways, through: 

• centering health in climate action;  
• nature-positive nexus approaches;  
• circular economy approaches; and  
• considering cities as key delivery platforms for synergies. 

In the afternoon, a series of roundtables convened under the theme “Scaling integrated implementation and partnerships.” 

Speakers in the roundtable addressing regional approaches to synergies underlined that the Asia-Pacific region is severely off-track in achieving the SDGs, and considered how the newly launched Synergies Report can guide cost-effective, climate-development action. Among others, participants called for reframing climate change as a health issue, “which everyone can understand the impacts of.” 

A roundtable on harnessing country platforms for integrated delivery explored how international cooperation and partnerships can better serve climate-SDG synergies. Panelists underlined the strengths of cooperation that is “rooted in common values, rather than dependency,” and that finance must be understood as a development investment rather than a cost. 

The roundtable session on aligning climate and development pathways considered how to close implementation gaps in fulfilling climate and sustainable development commitments. Speakers converged on the need to enhance stakeholder ownership in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) implementation process, and for accountability on net-zero pledges. 

A youth dialogue featured practitioners’ reflections on the role of youth in driving climate action and sustainable development. Panelists called on governments to institutionalize meaningful youth participation from the outset in policymaking processes, pointing out that young people are an active force already shaping and delivering solutions on the ground. 

The conference concluded with key messages and tangible next steps for advancing the SDGs and the goals of the Paris Agreement. Among others, recommendations on the way forward emphasized substantially increasing global investments in climate mitigation and adaptation, and strengthening partnerships.