Climate adaptation across all sectors required to hit SDG targets

New research led by Lena Fuldauer from OPSIS demonstrates that, without targeted climate adaptation action across sectors, achievement of all 169 SDG targets is being threatened by the impacts of climate change.

Governments and development organisations around the world are faced with the challenge of urgently making decisions on adaptation that intersect with different dimensions of development.

To avoid maladaptive outcomes, the research provides an actionable framework to help more systematically align national adaptation plans with SDG targets. This is particularly important as more countries revise their adaptation commitments under the Paris Agreement.

By placing the sustainable development agenda at the core of climate assessments that inform commitments under the Paris Agreement, application of the research framework helps governments and development organisations prioritise sector investments that both reduce climate risk and contribute to a healthy planet and a good life, now and into the future.

Globally, application of our framework shows that all 169 SDG targets are threatened by near-term sectoral risk from climate change. To reduce these risks, we assess how adaptation of critical sectors and the services these provide can help safeguard and advance all SDG targets.

– Lena Fuldauer.

She adds:

In particular, our research highlights the importance of ecosystems, nature-based adaptation options, and strong governance arrangements as cross-sectoral components of safeguarding sustainable development in the face of climate change impacts.

Read the full research paper here.

Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash