Climate Action

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Science, Solutions, Solidarity

For a livable planet 

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Act for our common future: working together for the Sustainable Development Goals

Choose your issue. Make an impact. Embrace the possible. That’s the call of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a blueprint for a better world. We don’t have to wait for the future we want—we can create it right now. Everyone can join the global movement for change.

ActNow is the United Nations campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals. The Goals can improve life for all of us. Cleaner air. Safer cities. Equality. Better jobs. These issues matter to everyone. But progress is too slow. We have to act, urgently, to accelerate changes that add up to better lives on a healthier planet.

What happens when millions of people act together for our common future? A lot. Join the campaign to learn more—and do more.

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Africa’s green energy potential

“Renewable energy could be the African miracle, but we must make it happen,” the UN Secretary-General said at the Africa Climate Summit.

“Now must be the time for ambition and action”

Learn about the Summit the UN Chief is convening in New York on 20 September 2023 to accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.

How to speed up the shift to renewable energy

Read about five critical actions to transform our energy systems and end our reliance on fossil fuels, the main cause of climate change.

Protecting people by protecting the planet

Climate change is putting not only the health of our planet, but the health of people everywhere at risk. Learn about two critical areas of climate action that bring immediate health benefits.

I look forward to welcoming first movers and doers at my Climate Ambition Summit in September.”

ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, United Nations Secretary-General (15 June 2023)
Secretary-General Portrait

Watch, Listen and Share

How to defuse the climate time-bomb

There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now, said scientists in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.

Africa: A continent of determination

"Now is the time for all countries to stand as one in defense of our only hope: let’s deliver the climate justice that Africans, the world and the planet we share, demand and deserve", the UN Secretary-General said at the Africa Climate Summit.

What is the global stocktake and why is it important?

The global stocktake will provide critical information for countries and stakeholders to see what progress has been made on meeting the Paris Agreement goals, as well as identify any remaining gaps and opportunities for increased action.

 

Posters for Climate Action

Illustration of the Earth melting

Climate issues

Restoring nature’s resources for climate action

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Net Zero

What does it mean? Why is it important? And are we on track?

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Powering a safer future

Why shift to renewables like wind and solar? Find out here.

Latest News

From ashes to riches: Profiting from peatland in Indonesia

Farmers in the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan on the island of Borneo are adapting their agricultural techniques with a more climate-friendly approach by ending the burning of land thanks to an initiative by Indonesia’s Peat and Mangrove Restoration Agency (BRGM), with support from the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS).

An indigenous solution to deforestation in the Amazon

The best protected tropical forests are those inhabited by indigenous peoples. In Brazil, indigenous communities have exclusive access to natural resources in certain parts of their territories.

A light in the mountains

In Kazakhstan's Kolsai Kolderi National Park, the installation of wind and solar power stations has transformed the lives of state park rangers by providing drinking water pumped from wells and farming irrigation, having constant radio communication and a light in every room.

Events

Africa Climate Week

Africa Climate Week is one of four Regional Climate Weeks held in 2023 to build momentum ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 and the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake. Hosted by the government of Kenya, Africa Climate Week will be organized in parallel with the Africa Climate Summit (4-6 September), also hosted by Kenya.

SDG Summit

World leaders will gather at the SDG Summit in New York for the mid-point review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the implementation of its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Climate Ambition Summit

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will convene a Climate Ambition Summit during the United Nations General Assembly high-level week. Leaders from governments, business, cities and regions, civil society and finance are called on to present “credible, serious and new climate action and nature-based solutions that will move the needle forward and respond to the urgency of the climate crisis.

Climate action starting now

Everyone has a role in climate action. At the United Nations, we are calling on people everywhere to work together to solve climate challenges and realize the commitments of the 2015 Paris Agreement. This website keeps up with actions taken by governments, businesses, civil society, youth and more in every part of the world.

It’s our planet, and while we know it is in crisis, we also know that solutions are in reach. Progress is already well underway, from more green energy to more secure food supplies. And the benefits are clear as well, such as green jobs, clean air and sounder economies. A more sustainable, prosperous world is in reach. Join us in taking action to claim it, starting now.