On Sept. 22 in New York, the UN brought together world leaders for the Summit of the Future. Conversations on multiple global challenges were held, ranging from current conflicts to AI and climate change. The summit resulted in the adoption of the Pact for the Future, which includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. This agreement is the most encompassing international agreement that has been passed in recent years, predominantly focusing on tackling the unprecedented climate crisis.

Significant importance has been placed on the 2030 Agenda and the 2023 SDG Summit Political Declaration, as well as the UN Sustainable Agenda. Member States have recommitted to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, with an expectation to continue working on long-term policies and measures to advance sustainable development beyond 2030.

Additionally, global leaders agreed on changes to the system of financing climate change relief, including the step-change in financing for the Sustainable Development Goals and closing the SDG financing gap. Furthermore, there were revisions to the sovereign debt architecture to ensure that developing countries can sustainably borrow and invest in their future, aiming to facilitate greater equity in resources to invest in climate action. Measures to strengthen the global financial safety net to protect the poorest in the event of financial and economic shocks were also agreed upon.

Pressure to keep the global temperature rise to 1.5°C was also included in the Pact. The Member States signed for a transition away from fossil fuels as energy resources and an achievement of net-zero emissions in 2050, as well as for the promotion of disaster risk-informed approaches to sustainable development. Moreover, the pact also called for accelerated efforts on the environment, including the promotion of sustainable consumption and production patterns, the conclusion of a legally-binding agreement on plastic pollution, reversing biodiversity loss and protecting ecosystems.

This pact comes after a summer filled with concerning climate events across the globe - hurricane Helene across the States, wildfires in Ecuador and floods in Central Europe are only a few of the extreme weather occurrences that have pointed to the alarming state of climate change.

With less than five years left until 2030, it is still unknown how the international community will mitigate, or resolve, the issues of climate change or whether the new Pact will meet the same fate as the Paris Agreement. What is becoming more apparent, however, is that more stakeholders are eager to gain a stronger say in the solutions. With initiatives like the 2023 African Climate Summit, it is clear that the world is demanding more action to immediately mitigate the effects of climate change.