Report on Synergistic Solutions for Climate Action and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: The Urgent Need for Integrated Action

A series of three thematic reports, launched on 22 July 2025 by the United Nations Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy, underscores the critical need to integrate climate action and sustainable development efforts. The launch, occurring during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, addresses the significant shortfall in achieving both the Paris Agreement climate targets and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Current assessments indicate a global development emergency, with only 35% of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets on track and 18% regressing. The reports advocate for a synergistic approach to maximize co-benefits, optimize limited resources, and accelerate progress across the entire SDG framework.

Key Findings on Synergistic Pathways

The reports, part of the “Synergy Solutions 2025” series, identify three high-impact areas where integrated policies can simultaneously advance climate resilience and multiple SDGs. These solutions are presented as a strategic opportunity for nations to align their updated national climate plans (NDCs) with the broader 2030 Agenda.

1. Closing the Climate and Disaster Protection Gap: Enhancing insurance coverage to protect development gains and advance SDGs 1, 11, and 13.
2. Leveraging Nature-Based Solutions: Utilizing nature conservation and restoration to meet climate goals while supporting SDGs 14 and 15.
3. Integrating Urban Climate and Health Policies: Designing city-level climate action to yield significant co-benefits for SDGs 3, 7, and 11.

Synergy Solution 1: Closing the Climate and Disaster Protection Gap

Climate-related disasters increasingly undermine progress towards the SDGs, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities). The report highlights a critical protection gap that directly impedes development.

• Key Findings:
  • An estimated 62% of global economic losses from natural catastrophes remain uninsured, leaving vulnerable populations exposed.
  • A mere 1% increase in insurance coverage is correlated with a 5.8% advancement towards achieving the SDGs.
• Recommendations for SDG Acceleration:
  • Integrate disaster risk financing mechanisms into national development and SDG implementation plans.
  • Foster a sustained, multi-stakeholder effort to systematically close the climate and disaster insurance gap, thereby safeguarding progress on the 2030 Agenda.

Synergy Solution 2: Advancing SDG and Climate Action through Nature Conservation

Recognizing the deep interconnection between biodiversity loss, land degradation, and climate change, this report emphasizes nature-based solutions (NBS) as a cornerstone for achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

• Key Findings:
  • NBS, including conservation and ecosystem restoration, can deliver up to 37% of the cost-effective CO₂ mitigation required by 2030.
  • Over 50% of global GDP is dependent on nature, yet a significant financing gap persists, undermining ecosystem services vital for the SDGs.
  • The annual financing shortfall for biodiversity is $700 billion, while the gap for climate adaptation reaches up to $359 billion.
• Recommendations for SDG Acceleration:
  • Implement integrated policies that align national biodiversity and climate goals with financial frameworks.
  • Redirect harmful subsidies (estimated at $7 trillion annually) towards conservation and restoration efforts to close the financing gap and secure the natural capital underpinning the SDGs.

Synergy Solution 3: Linking Urban Climate Action with Public Health

With cities accounting for the majority of the global population and greenhouse gas emissions, urban climate policies offer a powerful lever for advancing SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).

• Key Findings and Co-Benefits for SDGs:
  • Clean Energy (SDG 7): Replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources could prevent up to 1.2 million premature deaths annually by 2040, directly contributing to SDG 3.
  • Sustainable Food Systems (SDG 2): A global shift towards plant-based diets could prevent 10–11 million premature deaths each year.
  • Active Mobility (SDG 11): Infrastructure promoting walking and cycling reduces emissions while improving cardiovascular health and lowering mortality rates, advancing both SDG 3 and SDG 11.
  • Urban Greening (SDG 11): Increasing urban tree cover to 30% could prevent thousands of heat-related deaths annually, enhancing urban resilience and well-being.
• Recommendations for SDG Acceleration:
  • Provide targeted financial and technical support at national and international levels to empower cities, especially in the Global South, to implement synergistic climate and health strategies.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article connects climate-related disasters to development progress, implying that these events can exacerbate poverty. The focus on insurance coverage is a direct mechanism to protect vulnerable populations from economic shocks that push them into poverty.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  This goal is explicitly addressed in the section “Climate action in cities can enhance public health.” The article details how urban climate policies—such as reducing air pollution, promoting active mobility (walking and cycling), and shifting to plant-based diets—can prevent millions of premature deaths and improve cardiovascular health.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article mentions replacing fossil fuels with clean energy as a key strategy to reduce air pollution and prevent premature deaths. It also provides direct links to SDG 7 policy briefs and progress reports, reinforcing its relevance.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article highlights the economic impact of climate disasters, noting that “62 per cent of global economic losses from natural catastrophes are uninsured.” It also states that “over 50 per cent of global GDP depends on nature,” linking environmental health directly to economic stability and growth.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  A significant portion of the article is dedicated to urban solutions. It discusses how cities, which account for the majority of GHG emissions, can implement policies for cleaner air, active mobility, smart planning, and increased tree cover to create healthier and more sustainable living environments.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  This is a central theme of the entire article. It discusses the urgency of meeting climate targets under the Paris Agreement, integrating climate measures into national plans (NDCs), and implementing solutions for mitigation (nature-based solutions) and adaptation (disaster insurance, urban planning).

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  The report on “How Nature Conservation Can Advance SDG and Climate Action” directly addresses this goal. It discusses the importance of conservation, restoration, and ecosystem management to halt biodiversity loss, mitigate CO₂ emissions, and secure vital ecosystem services.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article is built on the concept of partnership and synergy. It describes the work of the “Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy,” co-convened by UN DESA and UNFCCC, and calls for a “sustained, coordinated effort by a broad range of stakeholders” and “financial and technical support at the national and international levels” to achieve climate and development goals.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events.

   This target is addressed by the report on “Closing the Climate and Disaster Protection Gap,” which recommends bolstering insurance coverage to protect against the economic losses from climate-related disasters that hinder development.

2. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

   The article directly relates to this target by stating that reducing air pollution through clean energy could “prevent up to 1.2 million premature deaths annually by 2040.”

3. Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.

   This is a core focus of the report on “Linking Climate and Health Action in Cities,” which advocates for policies to promote cleaner air and reduce GHG emissions in urban areas.

4. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

   The recommendation to integrate disaster risk financing into national development plans and close the insurance gap for natural catastrophes directly supports strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity.

5. Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.

   The article explicitly supports this target by noting the opportunity for countries to align their updated national climate plans (NDCs) with SDG synergies and by recommending the integration of disaster risk financing into national development plans.

6. Target 15.9: Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning and development processes.

   The call for “integrated policies… to align biodiversity and climate goals with financing” and the recognition that nature-based solutions are vital for achieving SDGs directly correspond to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Percentage of economic losses from natural disasters that are uninsured

  The article states that “currently 62 per cent of global economic losses from natural catastrophes are uninsured.” This metric can be used to track progress in closing the disaster protection gap (relevant to Targets 1.5 and 13.1).

• Percentage of CO₂ mitigation delivered by nature-based solutions

  The article mentions that nature-based solutions “can deliver up to 37 per cent of cost-effective CO₂ mitigation by 2030,” providing a quantifiable indicator for climate action (Target 13.2) and conservation efforts (SDG 15).

• Number of premature deaths prevented

  The article provides several specific figures that serve as indicators for health improvements (Target 3.9):

  • “prevent up to 1.2 million premature deaths annually by 2040” from replacing fossil fuels.
  • “prevent 10–11 million premature deaths yearly” from a shift to plant-based diets.
  • “prevent over 2,600 heat-related deaths each summer in Europe alone” by increasing urban tree cover to 30%.

• Annual financial shortfall for biodiversity and climate adaptation

  The article quantifies the financing gap with figures like “an annual shortfall of $700 billion for biodiversity and up to $359 billion for climate adaptation.” Tracking the reduction of this gap is a key indicator for progress on SDGs 13 and 15.

• Percentage of urban tree cover

  The specific mention of increasing “urban tree cover to 30 per cent” serves as a direct, measurable indicator for improving urban environments and public health (relevant to SDG 11 and SDG 3).

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: un.org