Countries’ plans to limit warming to less than one and a half degrees Celsius will greatly benefit business, society, and the environment, if done right. At the same time, working toward happy, healthy and prosperous lives for all can be good for the climate and the environment. Doing so is complex, but the gains would be tremendous.

Shifting to a green economy could yield a direct economic gain of USD 26 trillion through 2030—the deadline that all countries have adopted to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This conference, co-organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat and hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Environment, provided an opportunity for participants to discuss the need for coordinated action—a must if the world is to achieve the SDGs as well as limit global warming to less than 1.5°C under the Paris Agreement.

Senior UN, government, business, and civil society leaders exchanged ideas and promoted action under the common thread of “Transformation.”.

Day 1 featured high-level talks, during which ministers from around the world discussed how they are charting a “roadmap” towards 2030 through action on both climate and the SDGs.

Day 2 featured parallel panel sessions on implementing a nexus approach, ensuring just transitions, and forging partnerships.

The conference aimed to inspire a higher level of ambition overall, as countries implement the 17 SDGs, which include targets on clean energy, sustainable food systems, responsible consumption and production, among many others. It also sought to boost action through countries’ plans for climate mitigation and adaptation.

The conference took place as a hybrid event at the UN University’s International Conference Centre in Tokyo, Japan, and online.

Previous global conferences in this series took place first in Copenhagen, Denmark, in April 2019, and online between May and June 2020.