The average global temperature has climbed 1.1ºC above the pre-industrial level, leading to the melting down of glaciers, the sea level rising and the extreme weather events such as disruptive storms, floods, drought, etc. These destructive disasters triggered by climate change have devastating environmental, social and economic impacts, such as the extinction of biodiversity, land degradation, poverty, hunger, disease, inadequate access to basic education and health services, expanding inequalities and displacement of millions of people.
In 1987 the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as a means of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the capability of future generations to meet their own needs. The link between climate change and sustainable development is very significant. Both phenomena impact society and environment profoundly. Sustainable development aims to mitigate the above-mentioned destructive effects of climate change and enable us to adapt to these effects. Climate change is a restraint to development and sustainable development plays a key role for the solution of this problem.
Sustainable development has social, economic and environmental dimensions. The Sustainable Development Goals are an assembly of 17 interrelated global goals set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly which are envisioned to be realized by 2030. Sustainable Development Goal 13, being one of these 17 goals, proposes an urgent action plan to fight against climate change and its effects. This goal aims to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate change related disasters; integrate climate change measures into policies and planning; build public knowledge and awareness of climate change and its impacts.