From Ambition to Action: Unlocking Climate-SDG Synergies

A decade after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the global response to climate change remains far behind what is needed, with emissions still rising, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) drifting off course. At the same time, research from the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergies highlights that more than 80% of development targets are linked to climate and that coordinated, integrated approaches can maximize resource impact and deliver multiple benefits. Against this backdrop, this side event reflected on how to shift from ambition to real delivery by aligning climate planning, development priorities, and investment strategies in ways that support equity, resilience, and sustainable growth.

This event was moderated by Bahareh Seyedi, Senior Sustainable Development Officer, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). In his opening remarks, Daniele Violetti, Senior Director, Programmes Coordination, UNFCCC, stressed that although the world is not on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, working on SDG synergies presents a “huge opportunity” for climate action. 

Offering special remarks, Ole Thonke, Climate Envoy and Under-Secretary for Development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark, encouraged recognizing what has been achieved to date. He noted that the Expert Group’s work has been influential in the development of the third generation of NDCs, which take a whole-of-society and whole-of-economy approach. “You can link the SDGs to how a new generation of NDCs are created; that is a great achievement,” Thonke emphasized. He underscored that it is encouraging that green technologies are now competitive, which is leading countries to see NDCs as crucial for ensuring they are well-placed to realize the productivity gains from these technologies. Further driving action is the way that ministries of finance are increasingly integrated into NDC development, Thonke added.

In her special remarks, Nameki Mimi, Director for International Cooperation for Decarbonization and Sustainable Development Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, welcomed the synergy report and said Japan stands ready to collaborate with developing countries and organizations to lead in promoting synergistic solutions. Mimi underscored how Japan is working with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to consolidate personal examples and policy insights in the Asia-Pacific region.

Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Professor at Central European University (CEU), presented key findings of the 2025 Global Report on Climate and SDG Synergies, the third global assessment produced by the Expert Group. She described the report as structured around three elements. First, it quantifies benefits to show the scale of possible gains when countries design climate action that supports the SDGs. Second, it provides practical entry points to help actors integrate these approaches in real policy settings. Third, it offers evidence that can guide planning and cooperation in the years ahead. She noted that the report arrives at a key moment, when countries are preparing the third cycle of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

She highlighted two central messages from the report. First, aligning climate action with sustainable development increases efficiency and saves money. She explained that modelling shows that coordinated approaches can generate about 40% greater efficiency in government spending. Second, she said targeted investments are needed to ensure benefits reach groups and places that need them most. She also outlined the report’s nine main messages related to, among others, the close connection between climate and development, fiscal gains linked to synergistic action, the importance of adaptation investments, the potential of private finance, and the role of thematic entry points, such as nature protection, city level health measures, and climate and disaster insurance. She concluded by noting that synergies will play an important role in shaping the post-2030 global development framework.

A panel discussion followed, exploring how the findings can support implementation. Barbara Buchner, Global Managing Director, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), and member of the Expert Group, said global public and private actors together channel around USD 2 trillion into climate related investments, with private investors contributing more than USD 1 trillion. She observed that adaptation finance continues to lag far behind mitigation and that this gap presents a clear opportunity. She described work by CPI to help entrepreneurs and governments identify projects and business models that can attract capital while supporting national priorities.

Elisabeth Gilmore, Associate Professor at Carleton University and Expert Group member, discussed progress in understanding what a climate-adapted world looks like. She said the scientific community has developed a strong base of knowledge about risks and responses, which aligns closely with the SDGs. She noted that the report drew on information from 83 countries, and that fiscal gains from synergistic approaches are already visible. Finally, Gilmore emphasized that global goals must support outcomes that countries define for themselves and that planners must consider values and distributional concerns when designing responses.

Ma Jun, Director, Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), and Expert Group member, focused on the need for greater coherence in global governance. He warned that fragmented processes reduce attention to climate and development and said governments must learn to achieve more with fewer resources. He pointed to China’s experience with air quality measures, where concentrations of fine particulate matter in Beijing fell sharply over a decade. He described the Beautiful China Initiative as an example of a strategic framework that brings together pollution control, climate measures, and economic planning.

Meagan Fallone, Founder of StepUp Advisers and Expert Group member, reflected experiences at the local level. She observed that private sector inflows are increasing rapidly and that clear economic gains help motivate action. She described examples in Brazil where coalitions of mayors share costs of planning tools and technologies to design better cities. She said the upcoming four years will require a strong focus on scaling successful approaches.

Christopher Bartlett, Special Climate Advisor to the Government of Vanuatu, explained that his country adopted integrated planning because climate impacts undermine every aspect of development. He said Vanuatu uses its NDC as the central tool to coordinate adaptation and development and that nearly all its targets in the document are linked to the national investment framework. He referred to this as a full sustainable development plan and noted that Vanuatu has published a country platform to guide partners.

In a final exchange, panelists discussed how to ramp up ambition for the post-2030 development agenda and the next Global Stocktake in 2028. Fallone observed that new technologies and better modelling can support more coherent approaches. Bartlett called for renewed commitment to international law and for greater trust in developing countries. Ürge-Vorsatz pointed to cities as essential arenas for progress. Buchner stressed the need for stronger capacity building among financial actors and more data on entry points. Gilmore emphasized the need for fiscal space for adaptation and research on systemic risks. Jun called for global data infrastructure for environmental and climate information.

Questions from the floor addressed how climate funds and other institutions can better support human-centred approaches and strengthen synergies across programmes.

Organizer: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA)

Contact: Nadine Salame I [email protected] 

For more information: http://sdgs.un.org/climate-sdgs-synergies