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

United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development

CSTD 1992 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

UNCED S cg

United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

UNCCD 1994 Bonn Germany T g

United Nations Development Programme

UNDP 1965 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Economic and Social Council

ECOSOC 1945 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

UNECE 1947 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

UNESCO 1945 Paris France B g

United Nations Environment Programme

UNEP 1972 Nairobi Kenya E g

United Nations Foundation

UNF 1998 New York NY USA F f

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

UNFCCC 1992 Bonn Germany T g

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - Secretariat

UNFCCC 1995 Bonn Germany E g

United Nations Global Compact

UNGC 2000 New York NY USA F y

United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

UNGEGN 1959 New York NY USA E g

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR 1951 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Institute for Training and Research

UNITAR 1963 Geneva Switzerland E gj

United Nations International Computing Centre

UNICC 1971 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute

UNICRI 1968 Turin Italy E gj

United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara

MINURSO 1991 New York NY USA F g

United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service

NGLS 1975 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Office at Geneva

UNOG Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

UNDRR 1999 Geneva Switzerland E g

United Nations Office for Project Services

UNOPS 1973 Copenhagen Denmark E g

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

OCHA 1992 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC 1997 Vienna Austria E g

United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

UNPFII 2000 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response

UN-SPIDER 2006 Vienna Austria F g

United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia

UNRCCA 2007 Ashgabat Turkmenistan E g

United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe

UNRIC 2004 Brussels Belgium E g

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

UNRISD 1963 Geneva Switzerland E gjv

United Nations Sustainable Development Group

UNSDG 1997 New York NY USA E g

United Nations Volunteers

UNV 1971 Bonn Germany F g

United Regions Organisation/FOGAR

2007 Barcelona Spain C

United Religions Initiative

URI 1993 San Francisco CA USA F

United World Wrestling

UWW 1912 Corsier-sur-Vevey Switzerland B

Unity of Nations Action for Climate Change Council

UNAccc 2021 Vadodara India G

Universal Association of Professional Colleges and Universities

UAPCU 2018 Manila Philippines G t

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

UDHR 1948 New York NY USA T g

Universal Peace and Violence Amelioration Centre

UPVAC 2015 Jos Nigeria G

Universala Medicina Esperanto-Asocio

UMEA 1908 Trier Germany C v

University of the Arctic

UArctic 2001 Rovaniemi Finland D

University Space Engineering Consortium

UNISEC-Global 2013 Tokyo Japan C y

UPEI - The voice of Europe's independent fuel suppliers

1962 Brussels Belgium D

Urban Climate Change Research Network

UCCRN New York NY USA G

Urban Climate Resilient Infrastructure & Strategic Planning

UCRISP San Francisco CA USA G

Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights

UAF 1997 Oakland CA USA G f

US Global Change Research Information Office

GCRIO 1990 Washington DC USA G g

US Travel Association

1939 Washington DC USA G

Verdens Skove

1983 Aarhus Denmark G

Verra

2005 Washington DC USA F

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières International

VSF International 1989 Brussels Belgium F

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