July is set to be hottest month ever recorded, U.N. says, citing latest temperature data

United Nations: July 2023 Set to Be Hottest Month Ever Recorded

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Goal 13: Climate Action
2. Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
3. Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

The United Nations announced on Thursday that new data from its World Meteorological Organization, in partnership with the European Copernicus Climate Change Service, reveals that July 2023 will be the hottest month ever recorded globally. This alarming information highlights the urgent need for action to address climate change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the significance of this finding, stating, “Climate change is here. It is terrifying, and it is just the beginning.” The rise in temperatures is primarily driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus service. The extreme weather events experienced by millions of people in July are a harsh reality of climate change and a glimpse into the future.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Goal 13: Climate Action – Urgent action is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
• Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Cities and local governments should take steps to prepare their residents for climate changes, such as creating more green spaces and adapting working hours and school calendars.
• Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Financial institutions should shift their investments from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.

The head of the World Meteorological Organization, Professor Petteri Taalas, emphasized the need for climate action, stating that it is not a luxury but a necessity. Seasonal forecasts indicate that temperatures over land areas will continue to exceed average levels, further reinforcing the urgency of addressing climate change.

Dr. Christ Hewitt, WMO director for Climate Services, predicted that there is a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years will be the warmest on record. This projection underscores the importance of taking immediate action to combat climate change and protect the planet.

Steps to Address Climate Change

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined several key steps that should be taken to accelerate action and reduce global emissions:

1. The multilateral development banks should leverage their funds to mobilize private finance for developing countries and increase funding for renewables, adaptation, and loss and damage.
2. World leaders must make stronger commitments to reduce emissions and support other countries in coping with climate change at the Climate Ambition Summit in September.
3. Developed countries should fulfill their commitment to provide $100 billion per year to developing countries for climate support and present clear roadmaps to double finance by 2025.
4. Countries should prioritize measures to protect their populations from the adverse effects of climate change, such as heatwaves, floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires.
5. Financial institutions should cease funding fossil extraction and redirect their investments towards renewable energy sources.
6. Fossil fuel companies should transition to clean energy and halt the expansion of operations related to oil, gas, and coal.

Guterres stressed the need for genuine action and called for an end to greenwashing, deception, and abusive distortion of anti-trust laws that undermine net-zero alliances.

Additional Actions at the Local Level

• Cities and local governments can take cost-effective measures to prepare their residents for climate changes, such as creating more green spaces in urban environments and adapting working hours and school calendars.

It is crucial to address climate change and achieve the SDGs to protect the planet and ensure a sustainable future for all. The world must work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, transition to clean energy sources, and implement measures to adapt to the changing climate.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning
   • Target 13.A: Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
   • Target 13.B: Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing states, including focusing on women, youth, and local and marginalized communities

   The article highlights the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the need for climate action to address rising temperatures caused by anthropogenic emissions. The targets mentioned in the article include strengthening resilience to climate-related hazards, integrating climate change measures into national policies, improving education and awareness on climate change, mobilizing financial resources for developing countries, and promoting capacity-building in vulnerable regions.

   No specific indicators are mentioned in the article.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: cbsnews.com

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