Outcome of The Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for SDGs

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On July 20 and 21, 2022, the third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was co-convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and hosted by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan. The Conference was held in a hybrid format, with online and on-site participation at the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo. Around two thousand participants, including more than 130 speakers from over one hundred countries around the world, joined the conference.
The Conference Summary was announced as an outcome of the discussions, which were based on examples of effective actions taken by countries and various stakeholders to accelerate synergistic actions that will lead to the achievement of the various goals of the SDGs, while raising the ambition to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement and facilitate its implementation.
The Minister of the Environment, YAMAGUCHI Tsuyoshi participated in the Welcome Ceremony and special events, and High-level Opening Segment. He shared about Japanese initiatives such as the Decarbonization Leading Areas.

1. Outline of the Conference

Event title: Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Dates: July 20 and 21, 2022
Venue: United Nations University International Conference Center (Tokyo), Online
Co-conveners: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat
Host: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
Collaborators: United Nations University (UNU), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Participation from MOE Japan: Minister of the Environment, YAMAGUCHI Tsuyoshi, Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, ONO Hiroshi

* Please refer to the following website for the conference history and outline, program details,
and others. https://www.un.org/en/climate-sdgs-conference-2022

2. Outcomes

During the closing session on July 21, 2022, the co-conveners announced the Conference Summary, including key messages and the way forward. The written summary and detailed conference report will be available on the conference website at the right time.

(1) Key messages

It is clear that we are not on track to achieve the Paris Agreement and the SDGs and ramping up action on synergistic opportunities to reach the goals simultaneously is needed now more than ever.
Realizing the SDGs while accelerating progress towards a climate resilient, net-zero future requires getting the whole of government and whole of society on board.
National and local development and climate change strategies should be strengthened, building on based on integrated approaches, such as Circular and Ecological Spheres, with a just transition leaving no one behind and at the center of policy planning and implementation.
Enhancing capabilities of various stakeholders to pursue synergistic implementation of climate and SDGs agendas is crucial.

(2) Future directions

Strengthening the evidence base for synergistic action.
Convening multi-stakeholder dialogues at all levels. (The fourth meeting should be held at the UN headquarters in New York.)
Existing instruments such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) offer opportunities for integrated planning on climate action and the SDGs.
All stakeholders need to work together to deliver on the full potential of synergistic actions.
Input the outcomes of this meeting to mainstream and strengthen synergistic actions, informing key intergovernmental processes on climate change and SDGs, including the UN SDG Summit in 2023, UNFCCC COP, and CBD COP.