Towards Climate Resilient Development Pathways

The latest instalment from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) – stresses the urgency for action to both mitigate and adapt to climate change. The IPCC Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability states that “Climate change is a threat to human well-being and planetary health. Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.” (SPM.D.5.3).

The Working Group II report underscores the need for climate resilient development (CRD): the process of implementing greenhouse gas mitigation and adaptation measures to support sustainable development. It emphasises the need for climate-resilient development pathways: “trajectories for the pursuit of climate resilient development and navigating its complexities.” (IPCC AR6 WGII, Chapter 18: Climate Resilient Development Pathways).

This theme captures approaches, tools, methods, and guidance for advancing climate resilient development, and experiences and learning from how these are being applied in practice. The topics included here cover: tools and approaches for integrated development planning; adaptation, mitigation and SDGs synergies; low emission development strategies and low carbon development pathways; and low carbon energy initiatives for sectors and local communities.

This theme is being managed by the SEI Initiative on Integrated Climate and Development Planning, which is producing tools and developing strategic approaches that enable low- and middle-income countries to integrate planning to achieve Nationally Determined Contributions and Sustainable Development Goals. Working with national planners and decision makers in lower-income countries, the initiative is building and reinforcing capacity of in-country planners to achieve their goals, and to enhance their ambitions.