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Sustainable Development Goals:

GOAL 13 AND GOAL 12

WHAT IS CLIMATE ACTION (Goal 13) ?

Climate action means stepped-up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts, including: climate-related hazards in all countries; integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning; and improving education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity with respect to climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

COVID 19 AND IT'S IMPACT ON CLIMATE ACTION (Goal 13)

As the world is struggling with the rapid-onset COVID-19 crisis, and while it is early to conclude which response strategies were the most successful, we can already start drawing some lessons to help shape our response to the slow-onset disaster of climate change. We share here seven such lessons on how to ensure that the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis will happen in a way that will still put the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement at the center of sustainable development efforts.

1. Put science and scientists first

From the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists came together to form collaborative networks beyond political lines and national borders, which has increased the efficiency and speed in research to find a cure. Similarly, policy for advancing climate action should follow science, rather than having political differences interfering with, and preventing, scientific research to be carried out. While the global response to the climate emergency is, and should continue to be, part of multilateral negotiations, science is not negotiable. Well informed climate negotiations mean unimpeded transparency and scientific cooperation, such as the one provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

2. Adopt a “whatever money it takes” approach

Investments that can save even one life, improve livelihoods and the health of ecosystems are never too much. Governments have quickly mobilized financial support to back businesses and expand welfare benefits in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and this is the right thing to be done! But we often see that much-needed investments on climate action fall victim to difficult negotiations and political conflicts. An urgent fund mobilization is needed to avoid a climate catastrophe. Research shows that the climate investments needed also make great economic sense. For example, it is estimated that for every dollar invested in climate resilient infrastructure six dollars are saved.

3. Protect and improve common goods.

Over-exploitation of common goods, without consideration for the long-term needs of our next generations, has resulted in the “tragedy of the commons”, with big environmental impacts, including the zoonotic origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cases of response to the current pandemic show that previous investments by countries in public health and welfare systems have produced better results. Equally important are investments to restore clean air and water, healthy ecosystems, and other environment and climate goods, which contribute to planetary health.

4. Focus on those already left behind

The COVID-19 pandemic struck fast and affected those most vulnerable, those who had little means and access to health-care services, and those in nursing homes and homes for persons with disabilities. In the case of climate change, the ones that have been left behind include inter alia poor farmers, people who lack access to basic services, people living in slums as well as climate migrants. Climate mitigation and adaptation activities should put these and other vulnerable groups at the center of attention and response.

5. Make the global value chains climate resilient

The COVID-19 driven disruption in sectors like transport, medicine and tourism was immediate and hard. The climate crisis with its low on-set characteristics will drive at least similar if not larger implications in the value chains of main sectors. But it will likely do this over a longer time. There is an opportunity to develop systems able to increase the resilience of value chains in climate sensitive sectors; and ensure that critical commodities and services are available to all at times of climate-induced disasters. This will also impact the supply of funds and finances, which need to be directed to deal with critical situations, rather than bailing out polluting industries in decline, creating quick stimulus for sustainable and low-carbon commodities and common goods services.

6. Fix and make sustainable the food systems

The FAO has started documenting the negative impacts of COVID-19 on food security. The impacts of climate change on agriculture have also been extensively documented by the IPCC and it is evident that the most crucial global value chain that must be secured against the climate emergency is the food supply chain. Making agriculture and food systems more sustainable is not science fiction. Many policy options have been proposed and already implemented including inter alia ecological rotation of crops, robust estimation of the true cost of food, reducing food waste, fair trade, drastically reducing pesticides, decarbonizing food production and distribution systems.

7. Ensure credible information and not fake news leads the public discussion

Since the causes and risks of climate change are already well examined, documented and vetted, scientific facts and solutions need to be brought widely to the attention of the public to avoid speculations and misconstrued theories, which only cause anxiety and panic, as is happening around this novel disease. The science is unequivocal, and the advocacy should be as large as ever to make every climate denier become a climate champion.

The climate crisis may be seen as a slower moving crisis than the speed of this global pandemic, but it’s the long-term effects are likely to be far more threatening. Runaway global warming is something we do not have the science, technology or funding to solve. Without additional commitments to decarbonization, the planet is on track for a 3.2 degree global temperature rise and beyond. This is linked to an increased likelihood of pandemics, extreme weather events, droughts, flooding and widespread destabilization of global food, economic and security systems. Unchecked global warming will undo gains to address almost every sustainable development goal. It will undo economic recovery.

Today, however, global warming can be limited. As plans are formulated to help countries and communities rebuild their economies and societies, this is an opportunity to embrace renewable energy, green technology and sustainable new sectors that put the planet on a fast-track path to decarbonization.

UNEP is supporting national, regional and sub-regional policymakers and investors and to green fiscal stimulus packages and financing. UNEP is helping to prioritize “green and decent” jobs and income, investments in public wealth and social and ecological infrastructure, advance decarbonized consumption and production and drive forward responsible finance for climate stability.  

The work focuses on sectors critical to building back a strong economy: energy transition, buildings and construction, food systems, waste, and mobility, enabling the world to establish the next generation of sustainable and productive infrastructure.

It includes efforts to make trade more climate resilient and sustainable and build on lessons learned from the policies of the Global Green New Deal. UNEP is also continuing to support ongoing country actions on climate change, repurposing energy, cooling, nature-based solutions and recovery investments to align with the Paris Agreement, in collaboration with UNDP and other partners to ensure recovery plans reduce future risks from climate and nature breakdown.

UNEP is committed to supporting member states to identify and facilitate these opportunities and to support successful outcomes at the next Climate Change Conference (COP26) taking place in 2021, and the broader 2030 agenda.

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION (Goal 12)

WHAT IS IT?

As defined by the Oslo Symposium in 1994, sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is about "the use of services and related products, which respond to basic needs and bring a better quality of life while minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials as well as the emissions of waste and pollutants . This goal is meant to ensure good use of resources, improving energy efficiency, sustainable infrastructure, and providing access to basic services , green and decent jobs and ensuring a better quality of life for all.

IMPACT DURING COVID-19

Unsustainable production and consumption is perpetuated by brown financing, investments and lifestyle choices. Such practices have led to a depletion of natural resources, disruption of ecosystems, resource and carbon-intensive economies and infrastructures, as well as environmental health issues and diseases.

This pandemic has shown where many of the weaknesses in our systems lie. It has proved that responsibilities to act extend from governments to private sector to civil society and individuals if we are to successfully meet environmental goals. Closed borders, availability of commodities, and confinement have forced behaviour changes worldwide.

Some of the changes have accelerated new and emerging sectors that support responsible consumption, such as online working or locally sourced production. As people return to work and schools reopen, some of these positive changes can be retained. Employers – public and private – and individuals have now tested alternative ways of working, studying and consuming at a scale that can durably leap-frog some transitions to more responsible consumption and production.

UNEP is working with partners for recovery policies and investments to incentivize circularity, an inclusive sustainable consumption driven approach and the aligning of public and private finance with shifts towards more sustainable and resilient economies and societies. This is a real opportunity to meet that demand with stimulus packages that include renewable energy, smart buildings and cities, green and public transport, sustainable food and agriculture systems, and lifestyle choices.

Taking action today to protect ecosystems on land and in water, combating global heating and including “safety first” biosecurity measures and environmental safeguards is critical. Ensuring that the knowledge and commitment to responsible consumption and production extends across all pillars of societies will be fundamental building blocks to future-proof the progress and success of all other sustainable development goals.