Synergy Solutions for a World in Crisis: Tackling Climate and SDG Action Together REPORT ON STRENGTHENING THE EVIDENCE BASE I FIRST EDITION 2023 SYNERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A WORLD IN CRISIS: TACKLING CLIMATE AND SDG ACTION TOGETHER Published by the United Nations Copyright © United Nations, 2023 All rights reserved For further information, please contact: Climate and SDG Synergy Secretariat, United Nations Website: sdgs.un.org/climate-sdgs-synergies Email: climate-sdgs-synergies@un.org Design concept and production by Camilo Salomon @ www.cjsalomon.com I SYNERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A WORLD IN CRISIS: TACKLING CLIMATE AND SDG ACTION TOGETHER Synergy Solutions for a World in Crisis: Tackling Climate and SDG Action Together REPORT ON STRENGTHENING THE EVIDENCE BASE I FIRST EDITION 2023 II SYNERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A WORLD IN CRISIS: TACKLING CLIMATE AND SDG ACTION TOGETHER III SYNERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A WORLD IN CRISIS: TACKLING CLIMATE AND SDG ACTION TOGETHER Table of Contents Acknowledgments IV Preface VI List of acronyms 1 Executive Summary and Recommendations 2 1. Background and Scope 14 1.1 History 14 1.2 Purpose of the report 15 1.3 Current global context 15 2. Advancing Climate Action and SDG Synergies 17 2.1 The Science 17 2.1.1 An introduction to synergies, co-benefits, and trade-offs 17 2.1.2 Quantification and monetization 23 2.1.3 Methodologies 25 2.2. The Evidence 28 2.2.1. Synergies in practice: NDC-SDG linkages and LT-LEDS 28 2.2.2. Operationalizing synergies 36 2.2.3. Financing synergies 37 2.2.4. Global best practices and policies 43 2.2.5. Barriers and enablers of synergistic action 48 2.2.6. Lessons learned 55 3. Increasing ambition on synergistic approaches: A framework for action 57 3.1 Rationale: why a framework for action? 57 3.2 A framework for action – principles, tools, and synergies 58 3.3 A framework for action founded on core values and principles 64 4. References 65 5. Appendix 78 5.1 Figures 78 5.2 Tables 83 IV SYNERGY SOLUTIONS FOR A WORLD IN CRISIS: TACKLING CLIMATE AND SDG ACTION TOGETHER Acknowledgments Co-convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), this report owes its existence to this enduring and productive partnership, shared vision, and collaborative spirit. Guided by their overarching vision, this report is the culmination of the independent work of the Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy. The seamless coordination and development of the report are credited to the Expert Group co-leads, Luis Gomez Echeverri (Colombia) International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and Heide Hackmann (South Africa) Future Africa, University of Pretoria, whose diligence has been paramount in shaping its content. The findings and recommendations of this report are attributed to the expertise of the members of the Expert Group: • Barbara Buchner (Austria) Climate Policy Initiative, • Mercedes Bustamante (Chile) University of Brasilia, • Felix Creutzig (Germany) Technical University of Berlin, • Meagan Fallone (United States) Step Up Advisers, Ltd. and CARE, • Kaveh Guilanpour (United Kingdom) Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), • Ma Jun (China) Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), • Måns Nilsson (Sweden) Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), • Tulullah Oni (United Kingdom/Nigeria) University of Cambridge and UrbanBetter, • Youba Sokona (Mali) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), • Soumya Swaminathan (India) M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, • Kazuhiko Takeuchi (Japan) Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), • Diana Urge-Vorsatz (Hungary) Center for Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Policy (3CSEP) and Vice Chair of IPCC. Central to the report’s formulation, the core team supporting the drafting and editing process included Geoff Clarke - Science Writer, Souran Chatterjee - Lecturer at University of Plymouth, Nazifa Rafa - PhD student at Cambridge University, Belinda Reyers - Professor at University of Pretoria, who have exemplified excellence in distilling complex concepts into a coherent narrative. Special thanks are due to the following institutions who provided technical and financial support to the development of this document: Future Africa and the International Institute for Applied S