Sustainable Development Goal 13
Climate Action
Greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are drivers of climate change, and are now at their highest levels in history. To avoid catastrophic impacts on communities, livelihoods, and economies, action must be swift and coordinated. The Paris Agreement will propel this action, but achieving its goal of limiting global temperature rise to below two degrees Celsius will depend on transforming climate knowledge into policy.
UNU focuses on the people most impacted now by climate change, to ensure global resilience later. Our work is contributing to insurance safety nets for island communities threatened by sea level rise and extreme weather, so that households can more easily recover from future climate-related disasters. By advancing strategies to reduce carbon emissions through international cooperation, our research is helping democratise access to leading low-carbon technologies for developing countries.
FEATURED EXPERTS
Duminda Perera
SENIOR RESEARCHER, UNU-INWEH
“Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is fundamental in fighting against climate change and its impacts. I want to contribute to disaster mitigation and to enhance community adaptation for extreme climate events. At UNU, I research how to strengthen DRR for vulnerable communities and how to link the SDGs in achieving climate resilience.”
Pedi Obani
RESEARCH FELLOW, UNU-INRA
“Inclusiveness in the governance of natural resources is critical for the well-being of people and the planet. My research at UNU considers approaches, including instruments, for transforming Africa's exposure to stranded assets risks associated with climate change policy into opportunities for inclusive development.”
Michael Hagenlocher
ASSOCIATE ACADEMIC OFFICER, UNU-EHS
“Climate change and natural hazards are hampering the achievement of the SDGs while putting the most vulnerable at risk. At UNU I am working hand in hand with scientists, decision makers and local communities to assess the drivers, patterns, and dynamics of climate and disaster risk, and to identify solutions for strengthening community resilience in the context of global change.”
FEATURED PROJECTS
MCII: Climate Risk Adaptation and Insurance in the Caribbean
Developing countries located in disaster-prone regions like the Caribbean are hard hit by the effects of climate change. This project addresses climate change adaptation and vulnerability by promoting climate risk insurance as an instrument to manage and transfer risk.
Economics of Climate Change Studies
The ECA STUDIES project offers a systematic and transparent identification of cost-effective climate change adaptation measures. The framework can be flexibly applied from national to local levels and across different sectors and different hazards. It provides key information for decision-makers and brings various actors together in supporting national adaption plan development.
Ghana Climate Innovation Center
To improve Ghana’s ability to adapt and thrive amidst the increasing effects of climate change, action at all levels of society is needed. The GCIC is a small-business incubator that helps entrepreneurs develop profitable and appropriate solutions to mitigate or adapt to climate change.
