Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement

This briefing summarizes the second Global Dialogue on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, focusing on building global resilience aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes the need to integrate climate resilience with development, break down institutional silos, and ensure that recovery efforts are locally led and inclusive of vulnerable populations.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted severe global vulnerabilities, including over 4 million infections, 100 million job losses, and the potential for 130 million more people to face starvation by the end of 2020. Recovery efforts must strengthen resilience to future shocks while addressing immediate unemployment and food insecurity.
• There is a reciprocal relationship between development and climate resilience: adaptation to climate change can unlock economic potential and social inclusion, while investments in basic public services, health care, and governance enhance climate resilience.
• Effective recovery requires breaking down institutional and sectoral silos to address the interconnectivity between climate, health, and biodiversity loss. The document cites the Adaptation Fund as an example of strengthening climate preparedness that provides co-benefits, such as helping women's groups and garment workers address coronavirus health risks or enabling 1,000 people in one community to maintain food and income via greenhouses during lockdown.
• Economic stimulus measures and models should be 'stress-tested' for risks including climate change and pandemics. This includes rethinking supply chains to be more sustainable and regionally-based, and assessing capital flows from private banks, insurance pools, and pension funds for climate resilience.
• Financial strategies for resilience should include resilience bonds, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and debt relief for vulnerable countries. Furthermore, recovery must be locally led, moving away from a 'beneficiary' frame to ensure vulnerable populations shape the response through South-South learning and inclusive alliances.

APA

World Resources Institute (2020). Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-2.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. 2020. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement |date=4 May 2020 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2020global, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Global Dialogue on Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Economic Crisis: Building Back Better Aligned to the SDGs and the Paris Agreement}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/bmu-wri-dialogue-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }