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 six years away. But, we are drastically off track from this target.

Urgent and transformative actions 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

World City Ice and Snow Tourism Cooperation Organization

WCISTCO J

World Climate Foundation

WCF Copenhagen Denmark J

World Climate Research Programme

WCRP 1979 Geneva Switzerland F

World Community Chaplains

1978 West Hills CA USA N

World Council of Civil Engineers

WCCE 2005 Granada Spain C y

World Council on City Data

WCCD Toronto ON Canada J

World Culture Forum

WCF Delhi India G

World Economy, Ecology and Development

WEED 1990 Berlin Germany G

World Egg Organisation

WEO J

World Energy & Meteorology Council

WEMC 2015 Norwich UK C

World Evangelical Alliance Sustainability Center

WEA Sustainability Center 2018 Bonn Germany G

World Fair Trade Latin America

WFTO-LA Ypacarai Paraguay D t

World Fair Trade Organization

WFTO 1989 Culemborg Netherlands B yt

World Farmers' Organisation

WFO 2011 Rome Italy C

World Federation of Consuls

FICAC 1982 Brussels Belgium C

World Federation of Engineering Organizations

WFEO 1968 Paris France A y

World Federation of Scientific Workers

WFSW 1946 Mont-Saint-Aignan France C

World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers

1954 C

World Federation of United Nations Associations

WFUNA 1946 New York NY USA E

World Food Programme

WFP 1961 Rome Italy F g

World Food Travel Association

WFTA 2003 Portland OR USA G

World for World Organization

WFWO 2001 Rome Italy G

World Future Council

WFC 2007 Hamburg Germany F f

World Geospatial Industry Council

WGIC 2018 The Hague Netherlands C t

World Health Innovation Summit

WHIS Carlisle UK J

World Health Organization

WHO 1946 Geneva Switzerland B g

World Horse Welfare

1927 Snetterton UK G

World Information Transfer

WIT 1986 New York NY USA F

World Inspiring Network

WIN 2016 Accra Ghana G

World Institute for Disaster Risk Management

DRM Alexandria VA USA G j

World Mayors Council on Climate Change

WMCCC 2005 Bonn Germany E

World Medical Association

WMA 1947 Ferney-Voltaire France B

World Merit

Liverpool UK J

World Meteorological Organization

WMO 1947 Geneva Switzerland B g

World Mountain People Association

WMPA 2001 Paris France C

World Neighbors

WN 1951 Oklahoma City OK USA G v

WORLD OBSTACLE

2014 Lausanne Switzerland C

World Organization of the Scout Movement

WOSM 1907 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia B

World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments

UCLG 2004 Barcelona Spain B

World ORT

WO 1880 London UK C

World Packaging Organisation

WPO 1968 Vienna Austria C y

World Resources Forum Association

WRFA 2012 St Gallen Switzerland E y

World Sailing

1907 London UK B y

World Shiology Forum

WSF 2017 Beijing China J

World Silambam Association

WSA 1999 Petaling Jaya Malaysia G

world stainless association

worldstainless 1995 Brussels Belgium F y

World Steel Association

worldsteel 1967 Brussels Belgium C t

World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

1992 London UK F

World Tourism Forum Lucerne

Lucerne Switzerland G

World Travel & Tourism Council

WTTC 1990 London UK F v

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