Remarks by H.E. Annalena Baerbock
President of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
at the Climate and SDG Synergies Seventh Global Conference
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
[Pre-Recorded]
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the 7th Global Conference on Synergies between the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.
Like many of you, I remember the feeling in 2015 when we adopted these landmark agreements…
It was a sense of relief, and of responsibility.
Relief because we had overcome immense obstacles and bridged significant differences to reach agreement on two ambitious and transformative frameworks.
And responsibility because, once the ink was dry, we all understood that the real work was only beginning.
Today, it can be easy to lose sight of those feelings.
Faced with mounting crises, one could be forgiven for thinking that the world has stepped back from the ambitions of Paris and the Sustainable Development Goals.
But we cannot allow ourselves to fall into that trap.
Setbacks are not failure.
And despite political headwinds, we have advanced progress under both agendas.
One need only look at the surge in renewable energy, perhaps the clearest and most visible example of synergy in action.
In 2025, renewables overtook fossil fuels in new energy investment, reaching 2 trillion USD.
This is energy that powers hospitals, schools, homes and businesses, simultaneously tackling climate change and delivering on health, education, sustainable cities, infrastructure, livelihoods and economic growth.
As Kofi Annan once warned, “Climate change is an all-encompassing threat. It can reverse decades of development gains.”
The reverse is also true.
When climate action is integrated into development efforts, it can accelerate progress across societies and economies.
And beyond the transformative impact of renewable energy, the connections between the Paris Agreement and the SDGs are becoming increasingly evident.
I have seen this firsthand.
With Indigenous coffee growers and chocolate producers in the Amazon.
With the rapid adoption of, and innovation in, electric vehicles in China.
And with improved waste management in the informal settlements of Nairobi.
Each demonstrates the broad and varied benefits of investing in sustainability¡ in climate-smart, people-centred and resilient development.
Development where economic opportunity and environmental stewardship are not competing objectives, but mutually reinforcing ones.
Excellencies,
As you begin your discussions, I encourage you to focus on what is working.
Identify the successes that can be shared, scaled up and accelerated.
Work together to overcome complacency and cynicism.
And remember not only the responsibilities we assumed in 2015, but also the relief that accompanied them.
The relief that came from proving that even the most complex global challenges can be met through cooperation, compromise, and collective action.
That lesson remains as relevant today as it was then.
Because the synergies between climate action and sustainable development are not merely technical connections, but a reminder that progress is possible when we work together. That we are, in all respects, better together.
I wish you a successful conference.
More Information on Climate and SDG Synergies Seventh Global Conference.