Goal 13: Climate action

The climate goal promotes poverty reduction and sustainable development, and can provide positive synergies and conditions with which to meet several of the challenges currently facing the world, such as food security, clean water, sustainable use of natural resources and ecosystems, human safety, gender-equality, health and economic growth. There is a great need to adapt to current and future climate change, particularly for the least developed countries and the most vulnerable population groups. Action is needed to reduce the risks and consequences of natural disasters.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. A major proportion of the increased greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere come from the way we extract, convert and use fossil energy. As a result of the increased emissions, we risk moving towards an average global warming that exceeds 2 degrees Celsius, which would have serious consequences for ecosystems, ocean acidification, human safety, food production, access to water, health and an increased risk of weather-related natural disasters. Climate impact must be limited to create the conditions for poverty reduction and long-term sustainable development.

Targets

13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

13.a Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

13.b Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities