How a high-ambition global climate deal will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

This policy brief, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in July 2015, examines the relationship between the ambition level of the 2015 global climate agreement and the ability of countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. Based on research by HR Wallingford and Metroeconomica, the brief argues that a high-ambition agreement—limiting global warming to 2°C—is essential for eradicating extreme poverty and ensuring sustainable development, whereas a low-ambition agreement would significantly undermine these goals, particularly in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.

• A high-ambition climate agreement is defined as one that limits global warming to 2°C by 2100 compared to present-day levels and aims for a trajectory of declining greenhouse gas emissions to eventually achieve zero net carbon emissions.
• A low-ambition climate agreement, characterized by weak government commitments to reduce greenhouse gases, could lead to an average temperature rise of 3–5°C by 2100.
• Research indicates that by 2030, a low-ambition climate agreement is likely to result in significantly higher poverty levels compared to a high-ambition agreement: 80–140% higher for Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and 25% higher for Latin America and the Caribbean.
• A high-ambition agreement is considered essential for achieving the SDGs by 2030 because it provides a legal basis and policy framework for climate action, encourages international cooperation, and mobilizes finance for mitigation and adaptation.
• Case studies show that the sensitivity of SDGs to climate ambition varies by country; in Dominica and Jamaica, the poverty goal (SDG 1) is most sensitive, while in Pakistan and Uganda, both poverty (SDG 1) and energy (SDG 7) goals are most sensitive.
• Poverty projections for specific countries by 2030 vary drastically based on the agreement's ambition: in Pakistan, poverty is projected to drop from 25 million (2015) to zero under high ambition versus 8.6 million under low ambition; in Uganda, poverty is projected to decrease to 12 million under high ambition but increase to 19 million under low ambition.

APA

Houlden, V., Tsarouchi, G.-M., Walmsley, N., Greño, P., Markandya, A., Onofri, L., Ansuategi, A., Picot, H., & Dupar, M. (2015). How a high-ambition global climate deal will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CDKN_SDG-and-climate-change-policy-brief_Final_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Houlden, Valerie, Georgia-Marina Tsarouchi, Nigel Walmsley, Patxi Greño, Anil Markandya, Laura Onofri, Alberto Ansuategi, Helen Picot, and Mairi Dupar. How a high-ambition global climate deal will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CDKN_SDG-and-climate-change-policy-brief_Final_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{houlden2015how, author = {Houlden, Valerie and Tsarouchi, Georgia-Marina and Walmsley, Nigel and Greño, Patxi and Markandya, Anil and Onofri, Laura and Ansuategi, Alberto and Picot, Helen and Dupar, Mairi}, title = {{How a high-ambition global climate deal will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/CDKN_SDG-and-climate-change-policy-brief_Final_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }