Protecting People in Poverty from Climate Change: A Sustainable Development Imperative

Introduction

Governments face urgent challenges in protecting vulnerable populations from the impacts of climate change, especially amid significant reductions in global aid. The recent cuts to international assistance and threats to multilateral cooperation have severely undermined efforts to address environmental collapse, disproportionately affecting low-income countries that contribute least to carbon emissions.

Climate Change and Poverty: A Disproportionate Impact

• Over the past 30 years, more than 90% of deaths and 60% of economic losses from climate disasters have occurred in developing countries.
• In 2020, the World Bank projected that climate change would push an additional 132 million people into poverty by 2030.
• Recent aid cuts by major donors, including USAID, exacerbate this crisis, threatening progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: No Poverty, and SDG 13: Climate Action.

Need for Innovative Financing Mechanisms

Social Protection as a Key Strategy

Social protection programs—such as basic healthcare, unemployment benefits, and cash transfers—are proven tools in combating poverty and building resilience against climate shocks. These programs align with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

1. Social protection anticipates crises by reserving resources to support vulnerable populations during emergencies.
2. It provides predictable entitlements that help families maintain livelihoods and access essential services during climate disasters.
3. Administrative systems and social registries enable rapid and targeted delivery of benefits, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite their effectiveness, nearly half of the global population lacks social protection coverage, with 75% of people in the 50 countries most vulnerable to climate change having no access to these programs.

Bold and Imaginative Action for Sustainable Development

Financing Social Protection in Low-Income Countries

Research presented at the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) highlights the financial gap in providing essential social protection in the world’s 26 lowest-income countries:

• Estimated annual cost: $308.5 billion (52.3% of their combined GDP).
• Current fiscal constraints are worsened by debt repayments prioritized over public services, affecting 3.3 billion people living in countries spending more on interest than on education or health.

Unlocking New Funding Sources

The international community can mobilize $759.6 billion annually through innovative financing tools, exceeding the required amount to close the social protection gap. Potential mechanisms include:

• Taxing extreme wealth and combating tax evasion.
• Debt-for-social protection swaps, where debt relief is exchanged for commitments to fund social protection.
• Ensuring predictable, adequate, and uninterrupted funding as committed at FFD4, supporting SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.

Conclusion

Addressing climate change’s impact on poverty requires bold, imaginative action grounded in sustainable development principles. By investing in social protection and leveraging innovative financing, governments and the international community can uphold human rights and achieve multiple SDGs, including:

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Only through such comprehensive and coordinated efforts can the world protect its most vulnerable populations from the devastating effects of climate change.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article focuses heavily on protecting people in poverty from climate change impacts and stresses the importance of social protection to prevent poverty exacerbation.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • References to basic healthcare and harm to health caused by climate change highlight the connection to health and well-being.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article discusses how low-income countries and vulnerable populations, who contribute least to emissions, suffer the most, pointing to inequality issues.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The core issue is climate change impacts and the need for adaptation and protection mechanisms for vulnerable populations.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article stresses the importance of international cooperation, financing mechanisms, and donor contributions to support social protection in developing countries.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and achieve substantial coverage of the poor and vulnerable.
   • Target 1.5: Build resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection and access to quality essential healthcare services.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
4. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.
5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • Target 17.3: Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources.
   • Target 17.9: Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied to Measure Progress

1. Social Protection Coverage
   • Indicator related to the proportion of population covered by social protection systems, especially in vulnerable countries (e.g., “nearly half of the world’s population lack any form of social protection coverage” and “75% of people in the 50 most vulnerable countries have no access”).
2. Number of People Pushed into Poverty Due to Climate Change
   • Reference to the World Bank estimate that 132 million more people will be pushed into poverty by 2030 due to climate change serves as an implied indicator of poverty trends linked to climate impacts.
3. Financial Resources Mobilized for Social Protection
   • Indicators related to the amount of funding allocated to social protection in low-income countries, such as the $308.5 billion annual cost and the potential $759.6 billion international funding capacity.
4. Health Coverage Indicators
   • Indicators measuring access to essential healthcare services and financial risk protection as part of social protection systems.
5. Debt Service vs. Public Spending
   • Implied indicator: proportion of government spending on debt interest payments compared to education and health, affecting ability to finance social protection.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: context.news