Climate Solutions

COVID-19 exposed the consequences of the failure to make sufficient progress on the Sustainable Development Goals and in implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. We would have been in a better place if we had.

We must change course, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, or we risk missing the point where we can avoid the “disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us.”

As we continue to tackle the pandemic, the enormity of the climate emergency can be daunting. What can one person or even one nation do on their own to reverse this challenge? Good news is that solutions do exist!

Climate Solutions

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.

photocomposition: The UN Secretary-General speaking in front of a microfone, in black and white, contrasting with the blue and yellow background

July 2023 is the hottest month ever recorded

The UN Chief spoke on the global average temperature this July, which was confirmed to be the highest on record and likely for at least 120,000 years. July also had the highest-ever ocean surface temperatures.

5 facts on the impacts of heatwaves

Parts of the Northern hemisphere are experiencing severe heatwaves – and extreme weather is on the rise globally. How does heat impact societies? Read more here.

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. Read more.

 

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.

“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.

Tackling online mis- and disinformation

The UN Chief put forward a framework for a global response to address the “grave global harm” caused by the proliferation of hate and lies in the digital space that are fueling conflict, threatening democracy and human rights, and undermining public health and climate action. Read more.

Experience the ocean

The ocean is the world’s greatest ally against climate change. On the occasion of World Oceans Day, dive in for a tour through the corals and experience a 360-degree underwater view!

Protecting the Tree of Life

Actor, filmmaker and UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity Edward Norton urges us to “recognize that we are one of many species in the Tree of Life” and must accelerate action to tackle biodiversity loss and secure a viable future on this planet. Read more.

Five things to know about forests

Forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in trees, root systems and the soil, making forests a key ally in tackling climate change. Learn more here!

Health and climate change

Climate change is expected to cause about 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress. Reducing greenhouse gases can deliver big health benefits. Read more.

Why biodiversity matters

Ahead of the International Day of the Tropics (29 June), find out why protecting the diversity of life on Earth is essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to climate impacts. Read more about biodiversity and the climate here.

See what climate action looks like

Take a look at #MyClimateAction – a photo and video contest conducted by the Agora mobile app, in support of the UN’s ActNow campaign. Be inspired by people taking action and championing solutions to drive change. Read more.

Meet the new Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change

Seven young climate leaders started their two-year term as the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. Meet them here!

 

UN climate report stresses urgency to act to secure a livable future

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 report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on 20 March. Read more.