Felix Dodds is a Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute and a Senior Affiliate of the Water Institute at the University of North Carolina and an Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute.

1. Sustainable Development
Goals and the
Climate Change
Agreement
Felix Dodds

2. Felix Dodds
• Felix Dodds is a Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute and a Senior Affiliate of the Water
Institue at the University of North Carolina and an Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute.
• He was the co-director of the 2014 Nexus Conference on Water, Food, Energy and Climate.
• Felix was the Executive Director of Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future from 1992-2012.
• He has been active at the UN since 1990 attending and actively participating in the World Summits,
Conferences and has advised the Danish and UK Governments and the European Union
• In 2011 he chaired the United Nations DPI 64th NGO conference - 'Sustainable Societies Responsive
Citizens'.
• From 1997-2001 he co-chaired the UN Commission on Sustainable Development NGO Steering
Committee.
• He has coordinated some of the most innovative stakeholder dialogues at the intergovernmental
level Bonn Water (2001), Bonn Energy (2004) and Bonn Nexus (2011).
• He has written or edited thirteen books the latest is due out in May 2016 The Water, Food and
Climate Nexus: Challenges and an agenda for Action which he edited with Jamie Bartram.
• His next one out in September is Negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals: A
transformational agenda for an insecure world with Ambassador David Donoghue and Jimena
Leiva Roesch
March
Felix Dodds www.felixdodds.net2

3. The beginning of our journey
• 1969 Moon Landing
• 1969 Rockefeller Commission on Population
• 1969 UN Population Fund created
• 1970 First Earth Day
• 1970 Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace
• 1970 EPA created
• 1972 First UN Conference on Human
Environment
• 1972 UNEP created
• 1973 European Commission Directorate on
Environment created
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4. An example:We are all connected
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• 1984 British Antarctic Survey –finds
a recurring hole in the ozone layer
• 1985 UN Convention on Ozone
Depleting Chemicals
• 1987 UN Montreal Protocol on
Substances that Deplete the Ozone
Layer
• 1989 Entered into force
• By 2050-2070 ozone hole will return
to 1980 levels.

5. The Roadmap to the SDGs and the Paris Climate
Agreement
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• Earth Summit 1992
• Millennium Development Goals 2000
• World Summit on Sustainable
Development 2002
• Financial Crisis 2008
• Copenhagen Climate Summit and
Rio+20 2009
• Rio+20 2012
• Sustainable Development Goals and
the Paris Climate Agreement 2015
• Challenges for the UK

6. Rio Earth Summit 1992
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1992 Earth Summit agreed:
• Agenda 21 – 40 chapters – a blueprint
for the 21st century
• United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
• United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity
• The Forestry Principles
And
An increased role for ‘stakeholders’ in
policy development and implementation

7. Overseas Development Assistance:
1990s the Lost Decade
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“THE price of correcting the world's
environmental problems is about $625
billion ( pounds 350 billion) a year,
Maurice Strong, secretary of the UN
Conference on Environment and
Development ( Earth Summit ), said
yesterday in London. Of this, $125
billion needs to be transferred from rich
to poor countries, or an increase of $70
billion a year in aid programmes.”
Guardian 14th February 1992

8. % of Overseas DevelopmentAssistance given by country (Gross
National Income)
1. United Arab Emirates – 1.25%
2. Norway – 1.07%
3. Sweden – 1.02%
4. Luxembourg – 1.00%
5. Denmark – 0.85%
6. United Kingdom – 0.72%
7. Netherlands – 0.67%
8. Finland – 0.55%
9. Switzerland – 0.47%
10. Belgium – 0.45%
11. Ireland – 0.45%
12. Turkey – 0.42%
13. France – 0.41%
14. Germany – 0.38%
15. Australia – 0.34%
16. Austria – 0.28%
17. Canada – 0.27%
18. New Zealand – 0.26%
19. Iceland – 0.26%
20. Japan – 0.23%
21. Portugal – 0.23%
22. United States – 0.19%
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9. Byrd-Hagel Resolution July 1997 (95 votes for 0 against)
(1) the US should not be a signatory to any protocol to,
or other agreement regarding, the United Nations
Framework Convention onClimate Change of 1992, at
negotiations in Kyoto in December 1997, or thereafter,
which would:
(a) mandate new commitments to limit or reduce
greenhouse gas emissions for the Annex I Parties, unless
the protocol or other agreement also mandates new
specific scheduled commitments to limit or reduce
greenhouse gas emissions for Developing Country
Parties within the same compliance period, or
(b) would result in serious harm to the economy of the
United States; and
(2) any such protocol or other agreement which would
require the advice and consent of the Senate to
ratification should be accompanied by a detailed
explanation of any legislation or regulatory actions
that may be required to implement the protocol or
other agreement and should also be accompanied by an
analysis of the detailed financial costs and other
impacts on the economy of the United States which
would be incurred by the implementation of the protocol
or other agreement.
The Kyoto Protocol adopted in Kyoto, on 11 December
1997 entered into force 16 February 2005. Its first
commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012

10. Kyoto Protocol
• Common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR)
• Annex B parties with binding targets in the
second period
• Annex B parties with binding targets in the first
period but not the second
• non-Annex B parties without binding targets
• Annex B parties with binding targets in the first
period but which withdrew from the Protocol
• Signatories to the Protocol that have not
ratified
• Other UN member states and observers that are
not party yo the Protocol
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Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008 to 2012.
A second commitment period was agreed on in 2012 to 2020,
known as the Doha Amendment to the protocol, (37 countries
have binding targets)

11. Millennium Development Goals 2000
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2000 EIGHT Millennium Development Goals with
21 quantifiable targets with 60 indicators
2000 UN Global Compact launched as a voluntary
initiative based on CEO commitments to
implement universal sustainability principles and
to take steps to support UN goals: promotes ten
principles derived from: the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the International Labour
Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights atWork, the Rio Declaration
on Environment and Development, and the United
NationsConventionAgainstCorruption.
Over 8000 companies have signed up.

12. World Summit on Sustainable Development
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13. The strange re-birth of sustainable development
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“We have not implemented the Monterrey
Consensus on Financing for Development, thus
making it difficult for the majority of the
developing countries especially those in Africa,
to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,
and have reduced the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation to an insignificant and perhaps
forgotten piece of paper.” (Mbeki, 2006)

14. Financial Crisis 2008
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The impact of the financial
crisis of 2008 was reviewed
by the IMF in its 2010
report. It estimated the
impact of the crisis was to
see a further 53 million
people drop into poverty.
The banks succeeded at privatizing the profits
and socializing the losses as they led the
global economy to the brink of collapse, the
danger was growing of doing the same with the
environment

15. TheTail of Copenhagen
1. Key Governments did not want a deal
2. The US political system
3. Bad timing
4. The host government
5. The weather
6. 24 hour news cycle
7. EU politics
8. Campaigners got their strategies wrong
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16. CopenhagenAccord:
• Recognizes that "deep cuts in global emissions are required
according to science" (IPCC AR4) and agrees cooperation in
peaking (stopping from rising) global and national greenhouse
gas emissions as soon as possible
• developed countries would "commit to economy-wide
emissions targets for 2020" to be submitted by 31 January
2010 and would strengthen their existing targets.
• Agrees that developing nations would "implement mitigation
actions to slow growth in their carbon emissions, submitting
these by 31 January 2010.
• Agrees a "goal" for the world to raise $100 billion per year by
2020, from "a wide variety of sources", to help developing
countries cut carbon emissions
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17. Planetary Boundaries 2010 – Oxfam Doughnut 2011
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18. What did Rio+20 actually do?
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Agreed:
• To replace the Commission on Sustainable
Development by the High Level Political Forum
meeting annually and at Heads of State every
four years.
• Upgrading UNEP to meet biannually as a United
Nations Environmental Assembly with ALL
member states
• Accelerated the approach to the Green
Economy
 Set up a process to agree Sustainable
Development Goals to replace Millennium
Development Goals in 2015
 Set up a process to bring financing for
sustainable development to theThird
Financing for Development Conference in 2015
 Set up a process to break the disagreement on
technology transfer

19. International Energy Agency (2012)
• Aim to keep under 2 degrees C (3.6 F) degree
rise in global temperature (Copenhagen 2010)
• At 4 degrees C (7.2 F) rise -- hottest for 30
million years – persistent drought would cover
40% of the worlds arable land including the
western US and 3-6 feet sea rise and half of the
species go extinct
• Present way of living we are on track for a
• 6 degree C (10.8 F) horizon – by 2100 – after
Paris this is down to 2.7 degrees
19

20. World Bank 2012
97 percent of scientists agree
on the reality of climate change
The last 10,000 years
temperature has changed by
no more than + or – 1 degree C
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21. Climate Change Reminder – Sandy November 2012
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22. Republicans on Climate Change
“I think if you have mandatory carbon caps combined with a trading system, much like we did
with sulfur, and if you have a tax-incentive program for investing in the solutions, that there’s a
package there that’s very, very good. And frankly, it’s something I would strongly support.” Newt
Gingrich (2007)
“OnThe Issue Of Energy, Global Warming …This Nation, And UltimatelyThe World, Is Headed
Towards Emission Caps And Energy Diversification. Another opportunity before us is to serve as an
international model for energy efficiency and independence. On the issue of energy, global
warming, dependence on foreign sources of fuel, an capitalism have come together to create
opportunities for us that were unimaginable just a few short years ago.Today Florida has the
opportunity to pursue bold energy policies, not just because they are good for our environment,
but because people can actually make money at doing it.This nation, and ultimately the world, is
headed towards emission caps and energy diversification.” Marco Rubio (2007)
“I've asked my advisors to consider approaches to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including
those that tap the power of markets, help realize the promise of technology and ensure the widest-
possible global participation. As we analyze the possibilities, we will be guided by several basic
principles. Our approach must be consistent with the long-term goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere.” President G.W. Bush (2001)
“So that is my proposal. Before you get mugged by reality, take out an insurance policy. It’s the
Reagan way.” George P. Shultz was secretary of state from 1982 to 1989 (2015)
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23. 2015
What aYear for
Multilateralism and
Sustainable Development
Addis Ababa (July), NewYork (September) Paris (December)
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24. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 2015
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To replace the MDGs:
• 100 National Consultations
• 11Thematic Consultations
• Two High Level Panel Reports (2011
and 2013)
• Two Secretary General Report
• Rio+20
• 13 sessions of the Sustainable
Development Goals Open Working
Group
• 8 Intergovernmental Negotaions
Sessions

25. Sustainable DevelopmentGoals
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What are the differences between the
MDGs and SDGs?
The MDGs just applied to developing
countries
The SDGs apply to ALL countries
The MDGS are addressing development
The SDGs are addressing sustainable
development
The MDGs address the problems
The SDGs address the symptoms and
causes

26. Sustainable DevelopmentGoals
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27. What does this mean for the USA?
July 22, 2012 Footer text here27
GOAL Overall
mark for
goal
(average of
target
scores)
Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 7.1
Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all 6.4
Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 6.3
Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable
development
4.4
Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries 3.6
Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment and decent work for all
2.7
Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
2.7
Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
2.7
Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 2.6
Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 2.5
Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all 2.5
Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 2.3
Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 2.2
Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster
innovation
2.1

28. Goal 1
Hyogo Framework for
Action on DRR -
Monitoring and review
process
ECOSOC System MDG Progress Report
Goal 2
Codex Alimentarius
Commission
The State of Food
Insecurity in the World
(SOFI)
WFP Vulnerability
Analysis and
Mapping (VAM)
Committee on
World Food
Security (CFS)
Legal instrument and
related monitoring/
review mechanism
Other
intergovernmental
process
Sustainable Development Goals & Monitoring: Examples
UN Report (includes
World Bank, IEA)
UN agency/ UN joint
monitoring process
Multi-stakeholder
consultation & UN
interagency processes
Goal 3
WHO Framework
Convention on Tobacco
Control
World Health Assembly
Committing to Child
Survival: A Promise
Renewed
Independent Expert
Review Group Reporting
Goal 4
Education for All Global
Monitoring Report
Inter-Agency Group
on Training and
Vocational Education
and Skills
Goal 5
Committee on the
Elimination of
Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW)
Commission on the
Status of Women
Goal 6
Trends in water-related
ecosystem services
(including Aichi
Biodiversity Target 14)
Global Expanded Water
Monitoring Initiative
High-level Political
Forum
ILO World Social
Protection Report
Minamata Convention
on Mercury
ICPD Beyond 2014
Monitoring Framework
Global AIDS
Response Progress
Reporting (GARPR)
Human rights treaty
bodies
Programme of Action
of the ICPD
IFAD’s Farmer
forum
UN-Water Global
Analysis and Assessment
of Sanitation and
Drinking-Water
Joint Monitoring
Programme
WHO/UNICEF
Sanitation and Water for
All Global Partnership
UN World Water
Development Report
Progress of the World’s
Women Report

29. Goal 7 Renewables: Global
Status Report
Goal 8
Global Review of Aid
for Trade
ILO World of Work Report
Legal instrument and
related monitoring/
review mechanism
Other
intergovernmental
process
Sustainable Development Goals & Monitoring
UN Report (includes
World Bank, IEA)
UN agency/ UN joint
monitoring process
Multi-stakeholder
consultation & UN
interagency processes
Goal 9
ILO Committee of Experts
on the Application of
Conventions and
Recommendations
Programme of Action
for the LDCs, 2011-2020
WIPO Indicators
Goal 10 UNHCR Global Trends
report
Goal 11
World Heritage
Convention
State of the World's
Cities Report
Goal 12
10-year framework of
programmes on SCP Strategic Approach
to International
Chemicals
Management
Global Tracking
Framework report
for "Sustainable
Energy for All"
ILO Statistical
Information and
Monitoring
Programme on Child
Labour
IMF World Economic
Outlook and Databases
Programme of Action for
LLDCs, 2014-2024
Global Innovation Index
UNIDO Industrial
Development Report
Measuring the Information
Society Report
World Social Protection
Report
Intern. Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights
Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of
Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
Framework for the
Development of
Environment Statistics

30. Goal 13
Vienna Convention /
Montreal Protocol
Global Framework
for Climate Services
Goal 14
First Global Integrated
Marine Assessment
Report
State of World Fisheries
and Aquaculture (SOFIA)
Legal instrument and
related monitoring/
review mechanism
Other
intergovernmental
process
Sustainable Development Goals & Monitoring
UN Report (includes
World Bank, IEA)
UN agency/ UN joint
monitoring process
Multi-stakeholder
consultation & UN
interagency processes
Goal 15
National reports to the
UNCBD United Nations
Forum on Forests
Global Biodiversity
Outlook
Goal 16
Universal Periodic
Review
Goal 17
Committee on the Rights of
the Child
United Nations
Online Network in
Public
Administration and
Finance (UNPAN)
Trade Policy Review
Mechanism UNCTAD/WTO/ITC
Data base on non-
tariff measures
UNFCCC National
Communications
UNFCCC Annex I Parties
GHG Inventories
UN Convention on the
Law of the Sea
Review Conference on
the United Nations Fish
Stocks Agreement Global Ocean Observing
System
FAO Committee on
Fisheries
PRAIS for the UNCCD Global Forest Resources
Assessment
Kimberley Process
Freedom House's Freedom in
the World Survey
UN Survey of Crime Trends
and Operations of Criminal
Justice Systems
The Global Study on Homicide
Intergovernmental
Working Group on the
Right to Development
UN Convention against
Corruption Review
Mechanism
Aarhus Convention
UN Convention against
Transnational Organized
Crime
MDG Gap Report

31. What can the USA do?
• Government should produce a National Sustainable Development Goals
Strategy with stakeholders
• Government should re-establish the Sustainable Development Council
• May it a requirement that Congress committees will hold hearings on the
Strategy and the annual reports that the government produces
• Local and Regional Assemblies to develop their own Sustainable
Development Goals Strategies with their communities
• Local and Regional Assemblies should develop their own indicator packages
to measure delivery against the targets
• Local and Regional Assemblies should use their committee strategy to
annually review the strategy and report
• Local and Regional Assemblies should work with other stakeholders to
create partnerships to accelerate the implementation of the 20130 Agenda
July 22, 2012 Footer text here31

32. Paris Climate ChangeAgreement
• The universal agreement’s main aim is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2
degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius
above pre-industrial levels.
• Governments decided that they will work to define a clear roadmap on ratcheting up climate finance to
USD 100 billion by 2020 while also before 2025 setting a new goal on the provision of finance from the
USD 100 billion floor.
• All countries will submit adaptation communications, in which they may detail their adaptation
priorities, support needs and plans. Developing countries will receive increased support for adaptation
actions and the adequacy of this support will be assessed.
• The existing Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage will be significantly strengthened.
• The agreement includes a robust transparency framework for both action and support.The framework
will provide clarity on countries’ mitigation and adaptation actions, as well as the provision of support.
At the same time, it recognizes that Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States have
special circumstances.
• The agreement includes a global stocktake starting in 2023 to assess the collective progress towards the
goals of the agreement.The stocktake will be done every five years.
• The agreement includes a compliance mechanism, overseen by a committee of experts that operates in a
non-punitive way.
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33. What is the impact of Paris?
• Current climate pledges from 188 Parties do
not yet correlate with the agreed global
objective.
• Recent assessment with the Climate Action
Tracker consortium projects a 2.7°C (4.85 F)
warming by the end of this century if all
governments fully implemented their intended
nationally determined contributions.
• This is much better than before the Paris
process, but still far away from “well below”
2°C, let alone 1.5°C.
July 22, 2012 Footer text here33

34. So what happens if we address Climate Change?
March 2016 Footer text here34
A better US policy on climate change
The new Congress in 2017 should address
climate change properly
• Emissions need to fall by over 80% by
2030 for the USA to do its fair share in
tackling global climate change.
• The Government’s plan to meet existing
CO2 budgets is way off course- because
the US congress has blocked it.The new
Government in 2017 needs to toughen
climate policy across all sectors of the
economy.
• We need a REAL NEW DEAL to fund the
transfer to renewable energy.

35. Local and Regional Government key to Climate
Change
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The activities of cities alone
account for more than
70% of energy-related
carbon dioxide emissions,
a number which is expected to
grow as urbanization
continues across the globe.

36. Felix Dodds
Senior Fellow at the Global Research Institute
University of North Carolina
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking
we used when we created them.”
……..
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity;
and I'm not sure about the universe."