Global Civil Society & the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Climate Action


Every person, in every country in every continent will be impacted in some shape or form by climate change. There is a climate cataclysm looming, and we are underprepared for what this could mean.

Climate change is caused by human activities and threatens life on earth as we know it. With rising greenhouse gas emissions, climate change is occurring at rates much faster than anticipated. Its impacts can be devastating and include extreme and changing weather patterns and rising sea levels.

If left unchecked, climate change will undo a lot of the development progress made over the past years. It will also provoke mass migrations that will lead to instability and wars.

To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels, emissions must already be decreasing and need to be cut by almost half by 2030, just seven years away. But, we are drastically off track from this target.

Urgent and transformative going beyond mere plans and promises are crucial. It requires raising ambition, covering entire economies and moving towards climate-resilient development, while outlining a clear path to achieve net-zero emissions. Immediate measures are necessary to avoid catastrophic consequences and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

Name Acronym Founded City HQ Country/Territory HQ Type I Type II

European Broadcasting Union

EBU 1950 Geneva Switzerland D

European Business Council for a Sustainable Energy Future

e5 1996 Munich Germany D y

European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage Laboratory Infrastructure

ECCSEL ERIC 2017 Trondheim Norway E

European Centre for Disaster Awareness with the Use of Internet, Cyprus

Nicosia Cyprus G g

European Centre for Disaster Medicine

1986 Cailungo San Marino E g

European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

ECMWF 1975 Reading UK E g

European Centre for Peace and Development

ECPD 1985 Belgrade Serbia E

European Centre for Research into Techniques for Informing the Population in Emergency Situations

1988 Madrid Spain G g

European Centre for River Restoration

ECRR 1995 Lelystad Netherlands E

European Centre of New Technologies for the Management of Natural and Technological Major Hazards

ECNTRM 1990 Moscow Russia E gv

European Centre on Training and Formation of Local and Regional Authorities and Population in the Field of Natural and Technological Disasters

ECMHT 1995 Baku Azerbaijan G g

European Chemical Employers Group

ECEG 2001 Brussels Belgium F

European Chemical Regions Network

ECRN 2004 Brussels Belgium D

European Child Rescue Alert and Police Network on Missing Children

AMBER Alert Europe 2013 Beek Netherlands F y

European Christian Organisations in Relief and Development

EU-CORD 1997 Brussels Belgium E y

European Climate Foundation

ECF 2008 The Hague Netherlands F f

European Climate Research Alliance

ECRA 2011 Brussels Belgium D

European College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care

ECVECC 2014 J

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization

CENELEC 1973 Brussels Belgium D

European Concert Hall Organisation

ECHO 1994 Brussels Belgium D

European Consortium for Emergency Contraception

ECEC 2012 Targu-Mures Romania E

European Construction Industry Federation

1905 Brussels Belgium D t

European Cooperation in Science and Technology

COST 1971 Brussels Belgium E g

European Cooperative for Rural Development

EUCORD Brussels Belgium F

European Cooperative Longo Mai

1973 Basel Switzerland F

European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources

ECPGR 1980 Rome Italy E g

European Council for Motor Trades and Repairs

1983 Brussels Belgium E t

European Crisis Management Academy

ECMA 2000 Leiden Netherlands E v

European Diisocyanate and Polyol Producers Association

ISOPA 1987 Brussels Belgium E

European Distributed Energy Resources Laboratories

DERlab 2008 Kassel Germany D

European Drought Centre

EDC 2004 Wageningen Netherlands E v

European Emergency Number Association

EENA 1999 Brussels Belgium E

European EMS Leadership Network

2016 Copenhagen Denmark F

European Energy Efficiency Fund

eeef 2011 F f

European Environmental Bureau

EEB 1974 Brussels Belgium E y

European Exhibition Industry Alliance

EEIA 2012 Brussels Belgium D t

European Federation of Clean Air and Environmental Protection Associations

EFCA 1996 Pfinztal Germany D y

European Federation of Energy Law Associations

EFELA Paris France D

European Federation of Fortified Sites

EFFORTS 2018 Brussels Belgium D

European Federation of Green Roof and Wall Associations

EFB 1997 Vienna Austria D

European Federation of Local Energy Companies

CEDEC 1992 Brussels Belgium D t

European Federation of National Youth Orchestras

EFNYO 1994 Klosterneuburg Austria D y

European Federation of Psychologists Associations

EFPA 1981 Brussels Belgium D y

European Football for Development Network

EFDN 2014 Breda Netherlands F

European Forum for the Study of Religion and the Environment

2005 Lund Sweden F

European Fuel Cell Forum

EFCF 1994 Adligenswil Switzerland F ce

European Furniture Industries Confederation

EFIC 2006 Brussels Belgium D t

European Garden Heritage Network

EGHN 2003 Jüchen Germany F

European Global Ocean Observing System

EuroGOOS 1994 Brussels Belgium E

European Golf and Travel Media Association

EGTMA D

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