This side event of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (UNFCCC COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, will discuss the outcomes of the Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, focusing on the role of youth in decision-making on climate change and sustainability, and sharing good practices at the national and sub-national levels. It will engage experts from various sectors of sustainability from energy to forestry to discuss concrete actions toward strengthening synergies.
The event will have two components: (i) focus on the synergy between decarbonisation and social issues, especially just transition (leaving no one behind); and (ii) focus on the systemic approach for the transformation of global food systems, urban/peri-urban systems, climate change mitigation, and adaptation actions and biodiversity conservation. This includes transformative pathways that promote synergistic approaches such as nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation.
Participation
This in-person event will take place at the COP27 Japan Pavilion (Blue Zone) and will be open to all participants of UNFCCC COP27.
Programme
15:00–15:10 Opening Remarks
- Hiroshi Ono (Vice-Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, Japan)
- Shinobu Yume Yamaguchi (Director, UNU-IAS)
15:10–15:17 Setting the Context
- Akio Takemoto (Programme Head, UNU-IAS)
15:17–16:17 Panel Discussion
Moderator: Akio Takemoto
1. What should we do for enhancing evidence base for synergistic action?
2. How can we mobilise the youth to enhance their contribution to national and sub-national decision making on climate action and sustainable development?
- Bahareh Seyedi (Senior Sustainable Development Officer, Division for Sustainable Development Goals, UNDESA)
- Sangmin Nam (Director, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP)
- Rajani Ranjan Rashmi (Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute)
- Suneetha M. Subramanian (Research Fellow, UNU-IAS)
- Craig Alec Native (Sustainable Systems Design + Research — Children and Young, Aarhus Municipality, Denmark)
- Ayadi Mishra (Youth Representative, UN Decade Task Force)
16:17–16:30 Closing
Organisers
This event will be organised by UNU-IAS.
Background
At COP26 in Glasgow, UK, most major economies committed to achieving carbon neutrality in the next three to five decades. At the same time, governments are also committed to achieving the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development. Though climate change and sustainable development are inextricably linked, implementation action can yield both synergies and trade-offs. Timely and effective measures are needed without leaving anyone behind. Transformative and evidence-based synergistic pathways are more relevant than ever to streamline global, national, and sub-national efforts, and achieve policy coherence.
The Third Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the SDGs was organised by UNDESA, UNFCCC Secretariat, and hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Japan, in partnership with UNU and IGES at the UNU headquarters in Tokyo, Japan on 20–21 July 2022. It focused on developing stronger synergies between the two global agendas and effectively incorporating the 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind in the implementation of decarbonisation policies, spearheading multi-stakeholder dialogues to build healthy partnerships including with the youth, and enhancing knowledge and capacity development.
