Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda

The research analyzes 164 NDCs to determine their alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It finds that while NDCs often function as de facto sustainable development plans, there is significant institutional fragmentation and a lack of quantifiable targets. The analysis categorizes SDGs into tiers based on their connection to climate action, highlighting strong links in energy and land use, but critical gaps in social and political goals such as gender equality and poverty eradication.

• The analysis of 164 NDCs identifies six SDGs with the strongest connections to climate activities: SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 15 (life on land), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals).
• SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) is the most prominent point of connection, with 16% of all NDC activities. Over 50% of these activities relate to increasing the share of sustainable energy in the global energy mix (SDG 7.2), and 34% contribute to improving energy efficiency (SDG 7.3).
• SDG 15 (life on land) is the second-strongest link, with 13% of activities focusing on forest management, ecosystem conservation, and afforestation. However, NDCs largely ignore species protection, invasive species, and genetic resources.
• SDG 2 (no hunger) is the third-strongest link, with 13% of activities. These primarily focus on climate-smart agriculture, but there is a lack of attention to ending malnutrition (SDG 2.2) and assuring productivity for the marginalized (SDG 2.3).
• SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) is linked to 9% of activities, with 82% of all NDCs including urbanization-related climate actions. The most prominent targets are sustainable transport (11.2), disaster risk management (11.5), and integrated urban planning (11.3).
• SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) is linked to 9% of activities, which are overwhelmingly adaptation measures (87%). While water-use efficiency (SDG 6.4) is common, equitable access to sanitation and hygiene (SDG 6.2) receives the least attention.
• SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals) is connected to 7% of activities, with 86% of NDCs including relevant actions. The focus is primarily on financial resource mobilization, capacity building, and technology cooperation.
• Social and political goals are significantly under-represented in NDCs. Only 2% of activities address SDG 1 (no poverty), and only 56 countries include activities related to SDG 5 (gender equality). SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) has the fewest connections.
• There is a critical lack of quantification in climate commitments; only 12% of all stated NDC activities are quantified, meaning most targets are described in general terms.
• NDCs can be viewed as de facto sustainable development plans due to their broad scope, but they often lack explicit acknowledgement of trade-offs, such as the conflict between biofuel production (SDG 7) and food security (SDG 2).
• The document argues for increased policy coherence by aligning National Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDS's) with NDCs and utilizing the reporting structures of both the Paris Agreement (Global Stocktake) and the 2030 Agenda (Voluntary National Reviews).

APA

Dzebo, A., Janetschek, H., Brandi, C., & Iacobuta, G. (2019). Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/connections-between-the-paris-agreement-and-the-2030-agenda.pdf

Chicago

Dzebo, Adis, Hannah Janetschek, Clara Brandi, and Gabriela Iacobuta. Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/connections-between-the-paris-agreement-and-the-2030-agenda.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dzebo |first1=Adis |last2=Janetschek |first2=Hannah |last3=Brandi |first3=Clara |last4=Iacobuta |first4=Gabriela |title=Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=September 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/connections-between-the-paris-agreement-and-the-2030-agenda.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dzebo2019connections, author = {Dzebo, Adis and Janetschek, Hannah and Brandi, Clara and Iacobuta, Gabriela}, title = {{Connections between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/connections-between-the-paris-agreement-and-the-2030-agenda.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }