Student-led academic platform of the LL.M. in Sustainable Development of the University of Milan
25.07.2018
WRI: Connecting the Dots. Elements for a Joined-Up Implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement
Two most ambitious global agendas - Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development - aimed at achieving climate-resilient, sustainable development by 2030 and carbon neutrality by the second half of the century face significant challenges in implementation.
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In its recent study "Connecting the Dots: Elements for a Joined-Up Implementation of the Agenda 2030 and Paris Agreement", The World Resources Institute (WRI) has highlighted the pontential synergies from the joint implementation of strongly interlinked agendas. The study underscores, that although climate action and sustainable development have long been addressed separately in policy- making and research, two agendas are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. The SDGs mainstream climate change across their targets and emphasize the role of the UNFCCC for defining climate ambition.
The Paris Agreement mandates that countries carry out climate actions in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication. At the same time, the study underscore that two processes are different and developing a more joined-up approach to implementation requires enhancing policy coherence and cost efficiency, assumes significant shifts in institutional policy, financial, and monitoring frameworks which support the implementation.
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Based on the surveys held, the paper demonstrates that in most countries, national coordination frameworks for the SDGs and climate action are led by distinct institutions and engage stakeholders through different arrangements. Policymakers from across survey countries report significant challenges in connecting the two processes because each has its own history, community of actors, and political dynamics. Efforts at embedding the two sets of goals in development plans also lack an integrated approach, and the proliferation of different guidance for SDG, NDC, gender equality, and green growth mainstreaming overload planning processes.