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‘Super year’ for climate action: Why inclusive governance is key to addressing the climate crisis

We are at a critical juncture in the climate crisis, and 2024 is a landmark year for democracy. These two historical milestones are not just coinciding; they are intertwined and essential to the shape of our future. The links between good governance and effective climate action cannot be overstated, and this moment presents an opportunity to make profound progress on both.

In what’s being called a ‘super year’ for elections, half of the world’s adult population will have the chance to go to the polls, and climate action is one of the factors which affect how people vote. With a changing political landscape, 2024 could be a turning point to stabilize the climate and secure a livable planet for today and for generations to come.

Taking stock

As we approach the 2030 deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it’s increasingly clear that we cannot achieve SDG 13 on climate action without advancing SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

BUILDING PEACE, FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE

In conflict-affected communities in Nigeria, climate resilience is integrated into peacebuilding. Through the Regional Stabilization Facility, UNDP is providing communities across Damboa, Mafa and Ngala with skills and equipment for micro gardening and briquette making.

Used for cooking, the briquettes provide an alternative to cutting down trees for firewood, which has led to deforestation and ecosystem degradation. Briquette production and micro gardening also present livelihood opportunities that can make it possible for displaced families to return while reducing the risk of disaffected youth joining extremist groups.

"The introduction of briquette making to our community is a great blessing. It has saved us from the task of going into the bush in search of firewood and has encouraged peaceful coexistence within the community,” says Fanne, a resident of Ngala.

The current state of affairs is untenable. As we have crossed the midpoint of the SDGs and conducted the first Global Stocktake on the Paris Agreement on climate change, only 17 percent of all SDG targets are on track. No SDG 13 target has made significant progress, and SDG 16 is showing a negative trend as well.

Studies suggest democracy is waning globally, and over half of the countries holding elections this year are experiencing declines in democratic practices.

Despite these challenges, 9 in 10 people worldwide say they support democracy. At the same time, support for leaders who may undermine democratic practices has increased sharply. It’s a paradox that points to a growing disconnect between the ideal of democracy and how institutions are actually meeting people’s expectations for a better life.

The way countries respond to the climate change and its effect on people’s lives can either deepen skepticism or help mend the relationship between governments and their people.

GUARANTEEING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

"Our people will finally hold legal rights to our land. Without them, our future would forever be uncertain,” said Indra Bai. Indra is a member of the Kamar tribe, one of India’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups or PVTGs.

Indigenous Peoples are widely recognized for their role in conserving the ecosystems they live in and depend on, yet they often lack clear legal rights over their land. In 2006, the Indian government introduced the Forest Rights Act to recognize and protect the rights of forest-dwelling communities. Since 2021, UNDP has partnered with the Government of Chhattisgarh to strengthen implementation of the Act. Despite initial challenges, the successful recognition of habitat rights for the Kamar and Baiga tribes was achieved in 2023, empowering over 6,000 tribal people. The success of this model prompted the State Government to extend this recognition to six more PVTGs across Chhattisgarh.

We’re more united than we think

Citizens worldwide consistently rank strong climate action among their top priorities. Despite often divisive narratives, there is a great deal of agreement on the issue – more than many of us realize.

In the largest stand-alone survey of public opinion on climate change ever conducted, the Peoples' Climate Vote 2024 found that four out of five people, 80 percent, want their countries to strengthen their commitments to address climate change. This includes a majority of people in 20 of the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters.

The results of the survey, which statistically represent 87 percent of the world’s population, also show that climate change is on people’s minds everywhere. Globally, 56 percent said they were thinking about it daily or weekly, and almost two thirds are starting to take climate change impacts into consideration when making decisions like where to live or work and what to buy.

In a separate survey, 69 percent of people said they would be willing to give up 1 percent of their income to contribute to climate change mitigation. Yet only 43 percent believe that others would make the same sacrifice. This is a 26 percentage point misperception gap – an imagined disunity that can create very real barriers to cooperation if not recognized and corrected.

These findings leave no doubt that people support strong climate action. With some 72 countries holding elections this year, they are in a position to send a loud message. The leaders they choose will win a mandate to steer the world through our last best chance to rein in emissions and avert the worst effects of climate change.

Every voter counts

In the early days of democracy, voting was limited by class, by gender or other criteria. With the advancement of human rights, we’ve come to understand that everyone should have a say in determining who will make decisions that affect their lives.

Still, we have yet to achieve the goal of universal access to the ballot box. Just holding elections isn’t enough to guarantee that the full range of citizens’ voices will be heard. That’s why UNDP works with countries to promote inclusive electoral processes so that the outcomes truly reflect the wishes of all parts of society. Since 2022, we’ve helped 725 million people take part in elections, including many first-time voters.

Young people are some of our strongest advocates for climate action. Yet they often face significant barriers to political participation.

Women too often face challenges accessing the ballot box. Ensuring youth, women and other marginalized groups can participate fully in elections, as voters and as candidates, will go a long way towards making sure governments act on issues that affect them most, including climate change.

LEAVING NO VOTER BEHIND

In Libya, the High National Elections Commission is working to ensure elections are more inclusive. With support from UNDP and funding from Italy, the government is encouraging youth and people with disabilities to participate actively in the electoral process. To make voting more accessible, the Commission is providing sign language call systems for hearing-impaired voters and staff and Braille printers to assist the visually impaired.

UNDP Acting Resident Representative Christopher Laker emphasized the importance of inclusion in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: "Leaving no one behind doesn't mean just including those who have traditionally been excluded, but actively involving them in decision-making."

Just as the electorate should reflect the makeup of a society, so should the makeup of the government. Diversity among elected officials is a major boost towards government that is responsive to the needs of all sectors of society, and the different impacts they feel from the climate crisis.

Beyond helping more people cast ballots, UNDP is working with countries to increase diversity among those in leadership positions. In more than 100 countries, we’ve partnered with women's or feminist organizations, including those focused on increasing women’s political participation and gender equality in governance.

EMPOWERING CHANGE AGENTS

Although women suffer the brunt of climate impacts, they are also great agents of change. And their impact expands when they are backed by supportive governments creating an enabling environment, as in the case of the "Women Association of Milk Producers Santa Rosa" in Peru. With the support of the Ministry of Environment, UNDP and others, the group installed an irrigation system that pumps groundwater with solar energy, allowing them to water their crops even during severe drought conditions.

"I would like this local model to reach everyone," says Cristina Ticona, president of the organization, which has grown from 13 members to 38. The pilot initiative developed by the association has inspired the Provincial Municipality of Lampa to plan a public investment project that will expand its positive impact with 200 wells to strengthen the resilience of 10 rural communities.

After the vote

Democracy isn’t done once the votes are counted. Once elected, governments must deliver on the priorities that citizens registered at the ballot box. UNDP also supports the broader governance systems that help translate people’s wishes into tangible actions that can transform societies.

For climate action, the elections in 2024 come at a critical moment. Countries around the world are in the process of updating their climate pledges – nationally determined contributions or NDCs – under the Paris Agreement. Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the treaty, countries are set to raise their ambitions to keep alive the prospect of keeping global average temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To turn votes and pledges into action, we also need strong legal and policy frameworks, judicial systems, access to accurate information and engaged civil society to hold leaders to account and provide redress for those already reeling from the impacts of climate change.

DIGITAL JUSTICE

Providing judicial services online since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic was an impressive achievement by the justice sector in Maldives. UNDP and partners supplied digitalization equipment to key justice sector stakeholders, to help them address the challenges posed by the geographic dispersion of the islands, linking the central judicial system with service providers and communities in remote areas.

Expanding access to justice is critical for people to claim their right to a healthy climate. Digitalization offers justice institutions the ability to serve with greater efficiency and transparency, at lower cost. It makes the courts more accessible to all and builds trust in the institutions tasked with serving the public.

Effective governance for a healthy planet

Good governance is critical for achieving SDG 13 on climate action, but the reverse is also true. Without action on the climate, we have little chance to realize SDG 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Climate change is already acting as a destabilizing force in many places. Failure to change course will mean intensified conflicts, weakened justice and governance systems, and increased climate-related risks and extreme events, with catastrophic impacts on human rights, human development and the planet. To avoid this scenario, we need effective governance that:

- Rebuilds trust in public institutions

- Empowers people

- Enables bold action to tackle the climate crisis

- Meets our common expectations for the future

BUILDING BACK WITH TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

UNDP has partnered with the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine to develop effective mechanisms to enhance transparency and accountability in the reconstruction process. Minimizing corruption risks in the construction and reconstruction sectors is particularly important, as these sectors are critical to the country's economic and social development as well as to climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, said: "The support of UNDP in assessing corruption risks both at the central and local levels is an important step in the reconstruction and development of our country."

In an era marked by high levels of polarization and growing disillusionment with large institutions, democracy and climate action remain popular around the world and across social and political spectrums.

Tackling these two challenges together is the only way forward. Strong and inclusive democratic governance, backed by strong systems of accountability, is the most effective way to create a better future for all, increase shared prosperity, and guarantee human rights, including the right to a healthy environment.