The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement put forth an innovative and complementary framework for accelerating action and achieving ambitious sustainable development objectives. Under the 2030 Agenda, a series of 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have been agreed that are to be universally achieved. Under the Paris Agreement countries are expected to submit a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which outlines their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen resilience to climate change. Although SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to establish national frameworks to achieve the goals. The SDGs are integrated and indivisible, balancing economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, whilst the Paris Agreement aligns with the 2030 Agenda and demands urgent climate action. As we move forward with implementation of these two agreements we must transform them into concrete action and tangible results.
The alignment of these two agendas is imperative to reduce duplication and increase efficiency - maximizing resources, technical capacity, information, and expertise sharing.