Abstract:

Paragraph 14 of the 2015-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development states that ‘Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and its adverse impacts undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development’. The aim of this article is to critically evaluate this statement with reference to the existing relevant legal framework, including its fitness for purpose. The article will address the necessary definitions of climate change, sustainable development, relationship between them under legal framework and how the adverse impacts of climate change negatively affect sustainable development. For this, the most prominent examples of the Adverse Effects of Climate Change on Sustainable Development will be demonstrated by explaining how its adverse impacts weaken the capacity of states to succeed sustainable development. In order to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change, existing fundamental challenges will be addressed in the context of sustainable development and will be shown how to address contemporary challenges. Finally, this article will demonstrate if states and individuals do not take necessary precautions and develop new policy to prevent the adverse effect of climate change in the national and international levels, countries could not achieve sustainable development goals.

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