Visually Mapping Global Climate Indicators, Risks and the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

<p>There is emerging scientific literature on climate change, risk and policy action. However, the interdisciplinary nature of the research has resulted in difficulties for policy makers to quickly and easily find spatial-temporal and geographic information on climate change as it relates to ecosystems, populations and development. We present a mapping tool that links the seven World Meteorological Organization (WMO) state of the climate indicators to climate and climate change impacts and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The seven WMO were chosen for their clarity, relevance for a range of audiences, and ability to be updated using internationally agreed and published methods with open access and high-quality data. Each indicator indicators (greenhouse gas concentration, global mean surface temperature, ocean heat content, sea level rise, sea ice extent, glacial mass extent and ocean acidification) represents key aspects of the climate system linked to various associated risks identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the academic community. Systemically mapping the relationships between the WMO climate indicators and related risks to show how climate can affect the achievement of specific SDGs, with clear visual representations, provides stakeholders with a new tool to better grasp the interconnected and complex nature of how climate change threatens sustainable development. The presentation will introduce the tool in both a digital and print format and explore how the product can help decision makers and civil society engage with complex climate science. We will then put forward recommendations and plans for evaluating the effectiveness of the tool for future applications and improvements.</p>