Sustainable Development and Climate Change

Sustainable Development in the Context of UN Climate Change

What is Sustainable Development?

• Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Brundtland Commission, 1987)
• Integrates social, economic, and environmental aspects to ensure a balanced approach to development

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Climate Change

• 17 SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all
• SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
• Climate change is a cross-cutting issue, affecting multiple SDGs, including:
  • SDG 1: No Poverty
  • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• International treaty aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
• Recognizes that sustainable development is critical to addressing climate change
• Encourages countries to adopt sustainable development pathways that prioritize:
  • Low-carbon economic growth
  • Climate-resilient infrastructure
  • Sustainable land use practices

Sustainable Development and Climate Change Mitigation

• Transitioning to a low-carbon economy can drive sustainable development by:
  • Creating jobs in the clean energy sector
  • Improving energy access and energy security
  • Reducing air and water pollution
• Sustainable land use practices, such as agroforestry and permaculture, can:
  • Sequester carbon dioxide
  • Enhance biodiversity
  • Support rural development

Sustainable Development and Climate Change

• Sustainable development is a development approach that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
• It integrates social, economic, and environmental aspects to ensure a balanced approach to development.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• The UN adopted 17 SDGs in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all.
• SDG 13 focuses on taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
• Climate change is a cross-cutting issue, affecting multiple SDGs, including:
  • SDG 1: No Poverty
  • SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• The UNFCCC is an international treaty aimed at stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
• It recognizes that sustainable development is critical to addressing climate change.
• The treaty encourages countries to adopt sustainable development pathways that prioritize:
  • Low-carbon economic growth
  • Climate-resilient infrastructure
  • Sustainable land use practices

Sustainable Development and Climate Change Mitigation

• Transitioning to a low-carbon economy can drive sustainable development by:
  • Creating jobs in the clean energy sector
  • Improving energy access and energy security
  • Reducing air and water pollution
• Sustainable land use practices, such as agroforestry and permaculture, can:
  • Sequester carbon dioxide
  • Enhance biodiversity
  • Support rural development

Explore the concept of sustainable development, its integration with social, economic, and environmental aspects, and its relation to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals and climate change.