Integrating climate change in the post-2015 development agenda

This briefing by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network examines the necessity and methods of integrating climate change into the post-2015 development agenda. It argues that climate change poses a grave threat to poverty eradication and sustainable development, while suggesting that 'climate-smart' goals and targets can simultaneously address development and environmental objectives.

• Climate change is projected to cause a global average temperature increase of 3°C to 5°C by the end of the century based on current trends. Even if warming is limited to the UNFCCC target of 2°C, development gains will be undermined, making the achievement of post-2015 objectives more costly and difficult.
• Climate change impacts are expected to disproportionately affect the poor, who rely heavily on natural resources. Specific risks include decreased crop yields at low latitudes, increased water stress for hundreds of millions of people, and threats to energy infrastructure, such as hydropower variability and thermal power cooling supplies.
• Climate change creates significant risks for human health and education. Health risks include the spread of climate-sensitive diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and diarrhoeal infections into new areas. Education for the poorest, particularly girls, is threatened by school interruptions caused by extreme weather, loss of household assets, and population displacement.
• There are significant opportunities for 'climate-smart' investments that provide co-benefits for both development and climate. Examples include bus rapid transit to reduce emissions and improve transport access, agricultural practices integrating forestry for carbon storage and resilience, and distributed solar power for cost-effective electricity access for the poor.
• The document proposes several specific 'climate-smart' targets for the post-2015 framework to be achieved by 2030, including the implementation of low-carbon development strategies by all countries, the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies, and increasing the share of renewables in the global energy mix.
• The briefing discusses two primary options for integrating climate change into the goal framework: mainstreaming it through targets across various goal areas or establishing a stand-alone climate change goal. A stand-alone goal would increase visibility but could cause confusion with the UNFCCC or detract from the cross-cutting nature of climate impacts.

APA

Scott, A., & Picot, H. (2014). Integrating climate change in the post-2015 development agenda. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Integrating-climate-change-into-the-post-2015-development-agenda.pdf

Chicago

Scott, Andrew, and Helen Picot. Integrating climate change in the post-2015 development agenda. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Integrating-climate-change-into-the-post-2015-development-agenda.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scott |first1=Andrew |last2=Picot |first2=Helen |title=Integrating climate change in the post-2015 development agenda |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=March 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Integrating-climate-change-into-the-post-2015-development-agenda.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scott2014integrating, author = {Scott, Andrew and Picot, Helen}, title = {{Integrating climate change in the post-2015 development agenda}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = mar, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Integrating-climate-change-into-the-post-2015-development-agenda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }