Many emphasized the need for a just transition that supports sustainable development, called on all countries to honor their commitments to climate finance and technology transfer, and reiterated their commitment to multilateralism.
a number of speakers underscored the role of the courts in holding countries to account, and cited the ICJ advisory opinion, affirming that countries have legally binding obligations to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.
in closing, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that it is possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, but only if countries act with urgency, determination, and solidarity.
uN Secretary-General António Guterres convened the Climate Summit 2025 as a platform for country leaders to announce climate change commitments and to accelerate momentum toward the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) in November. Nearly 100 countries shared their plans for or updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which signal their countries’ intentions to take climate action.
in addition to announcing updated national targets for climate action, Heads of State and Government and ministers reaffirmed their support for multilateralism and science and demanded immediate action to prevent irreversible damage. During the opening segment, Scientists Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and Katherine Hayhoe, Texas Tech University, provided assessments of current efforts to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Rockström warned that impacts associated with a temperature rise beyond 1.5°C risk crossing tipping points, leading to irreversible change. ‘The window is still there, but it’s narrow,’ he said. Hayhoe said while the science is clear, awareness does not necessarily lead to action. Saying we need to know we are not alone and there is hope, she called on leaders to ‘choose courage over fear, action over delay, and hope over despair.’ UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that both science and economics compel climate action. He said COP 30 must conclude with a credible global plan to get us on track by: n supercharging the clean energy transition; n drastically cutting methane emissions; n ending the destruction of forests; n cutting emissions from heavy industry; and n ensuring climate justice. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, said the submission of NDCs is not an option but an obligation, citing the recent advisory opinion by theInternational Court of Justice (ICJ). Xi Jinping, President of China, announced his country’s new NDC, which aims to, inter alia: reduce its economy-wide net GHG emissions by 7-10% from peak levels by 2035; increase the share of nonfossil fuels in total energy consumption to over 30%; expand installed capacity of wind and solar power to over six times the 2020 levels; scale up total forest stock volume; expand national carbon emissions trading market to cover major sectors; and establish ‘a climate adaptive society.’ Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, announced the EU will formally submit its new NDC ahead of COP 30, said the emissions reduction target would be between 66% and 72%, described work on a 2040 target of 90% emissions reduction to reach climate neutrality by 2050, and outlined the EU’s efforts in the areas of global partnerships and climate finance. Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, called for using innovative financial instruments to implement NDCs and for a legally binding agreement on methane that could be based on the Montreal Protocol. Many emphasized the need for a just transition that supports sustainable development, called on all countries to honor their commitments to climate finance and technology transfer, and reiterated their commitment to multilateralism.
a number of speakers underscored the role of the courts in holding countries to account, and cited the ICJ advisory opinion, affirming that countries have legally binding obligations to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.
in closing, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed emphasized that it is possible to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C, but only if countries act with urgency, determination, and solidarity.
the Climate Summit 2025 took place on 24 September, during the High-Level Week of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
tackling Climate, Sustainable Development Crises Together Could Cut Costs by 40%: Report A report issued by a UN-convened expert group finds that tackling the climate and sustainable development crises together could unlock efficiencies at scale and reduce government spending needed to address these crises by nearly 40 percent. Harnessing Climate and SDG Synergy: Quantifying the Benefits, the third global report prepared by the independent Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy, was launched today ahead of the Climate Summit during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, at a time when progress towards achieving climate targets under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is far off track.
the finance gap for SDG action exceeds USD 4 trillion annually, and over USD 6 trillion annually for climate action. ‘The climate and development crises are not separate – they are deeply interconnected, and so must be their solutions,’ UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Li Junhua and Executive Secretary of UNFCCC Simon Stiell stated jointly in the preface of the report, representing the two agencies that co-convene the expert group. Declaring that the report shows that ‘we have the solutions and roadmap’ for a more integrated approach, they issued a call for cooperation across ministries and sectors – for a whole-of-society approach. ‘Let us seize this moment of opportunity for transformative change, for people and planet,’ they concluded.
the expert report comes at a crucial time: 2025 presents a critical window to maximize the potential of synergistic action, as countries prepare new national climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, some of which are being announced at the Climate Summit.
these Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) can be a key mechanism, the report states, to align climate action with sustainable development and the SDGs. Citing two examples of co-benefits, the report urges that NDCs should include action on biodiversity and recognize the positive health impacts in cities of reducing emissions and air pollution.
the report suggests that tailoring synergistic strategies to country-specific development and climate objectives ensures that investments are targeted where they are needed most, and that climate action delivers multiple social, economic, and environmental benefits. Currently, ‘fragmentation across governance, finance and policy continues to hinder progress,’ the report states, ‘necessitating reforms for effective and inclusive action.’ Stating that private sector investment is vital, the report makes the argument that by aligning incentives, demonstrating economic value, and reducing risk through synergistic action, governments can leverage private funding to magnify the impacts. Growing Evidence The report’s conclusions are based on statistical modelling, using the cost of meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction objective of fulfilling all NDCs as well as achieving certain development targets measured by the Human Development Index. By contrast, synergistic allocation of funds could reduce total government spending by up to 37 percent, according to the modelling. The expert group intends to broaden the analysis in future reports to add other benefits, including social values such as lives saved.
the report expands the growing body of evidence on the clear benefits of synergistic policies and action, building on the expert group’s global reports over the past two years, as well as detailed thematic reports examining specific synergies that can yield major impact.
it cites examples showing that: n Nature-based climate solutions such as conserving biodiversity and restoring ecosystems could deliver up to 37 percent of cost-effective CO2 mitigation by 2030; n City policies such as fossil-fuel phaseout, and encouraging cycling and walking as well as plant-based diets can deliver major co-benefits for climate and health; and n Integrating disaster insurance into development plans can boost resilience, considering that in Africa, only 0.5 percent of disaster losses are insured, and each 1.0 percent rise in coverage brings countries 5.8 percent closer to achieving the SDGs. Political momentum on climate and SDG synergies has been building, including through annual conferences, with increasing recognition of the need to break down the silos that are holding back progress urgently needed.
the recommendations in the report will continue to be advanced in various forums, including at Climate COP30 coming up in Brazil in November.
the 17-member expert group, drawn from diverse backgrounds and research institutions, is co-led by Luis Gomez Echeverri (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) and Heidi Hackmann (CREST, Stellenbosch University).