How We Help
Global perspective
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world leaders adopted the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030 (UNDP 2015).
In the last 15 years, the
MDGs succeeded in mobilising support for development and led to some success in the fight against hunger, diseases and illiteracy. However, despite these achievements, climate crises have posed an increasingly serious threat to international development efforts.
Often, the poorest and most vulnerable suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, including natural disasters.
Goal 13 of SDGs urges us to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”, which is a direct response to the issue of climate change.
Summary of Goal 13: Climate Action
-
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
-
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
-
Improve education, awareness-raising and international capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
-
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation
-
Strengthen capacity for effective planning and management in least developed countries and small islands, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalised communities
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a climate agreement adopted by the 195 member states of the United Nations at the 2015 UN Climate Summit. It replaces the Kyoto Protocol and hopes to jointly curb the global warming trend.
The Paris Agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and to assist developing countries to do so. The Agreement sets a clear goal of keeping the global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and controlling the temperature rise even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster the development of low greenhouse gas emissions, in a manner that does not threaten food production. To achieve the above, all parties need to design their financial flows, technology frameworks, action plans and do regular reporting for low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. At the same time, support will be given to the developing countries and the most vulnerable countries to help them realise their own national objectives.
What World Vision is doing
World Vision works with vulnerable communities to increase their resilience to climate change, as well as providing assistance when disasters occur. Our approaches include mitigation, adaptation and disaster relief.
-
Mitigation: Avoid the unmanageable
This approach involves reducing carbon dioxide gas emissions and stopping the problem of climate change from growing. This means burning less fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) and introducing clean energy and energy-efficient approaches.
Another way to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reforestation and the conservation of existing forests that helps absorbing carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere.
FMNR is a low-cost land restoration technique used to combat poverty and hunger amongst poor subsistence farmers by increasing food and timber production and resilience to climate extremes. In practice, FMNR involves the systematic regrowth and management of trees and shrubs from felled tree stumps, sprouting root systems or seeds. The regrown trees and shrubs – integrated into crops and grazing pastures – help restore soil structure and fertility, inhibit erosion and soil moisture evaporation, rehabilitate springs and the water table, and increase biodiversity. Some tree species also impart nutrients such as nitrogen into the soil.
World Vision is now an “Observer” organisation of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA). GACSA is an information sharing, advocacy and networking platform and aspires to be a voluntary and transparent association of members committed to fostering sustainable change in agricultural practices.
-
Adaptation: Manage the unavoidable
Adaptation involves learning how to live with existing climate change and protecting ourselves from the future effects of climate change. For example, this includes farmers growing drought resistant crops and learning new ways in ‘climate-smart’ agricultural interventions and sustainable land management practices.
World Vision Australia has a dedicated Food Security and Climate Change team that develops and oversees a pipeline of global development projects with communities, governments and world-class partners across Africa, South America, South Asia and the Pacific region.
-
Disaster response
In response to extreme weather events, World Vision acts: before, during and after disasters strike. To be able to help communities affected by disasters, World Vision needs to ensure community readiness before the emergency. Most regions where World Vision works maintain their own stockpiles of relief items, such as tarpaulins, household kits and water carriers, plus reliable access to emergency food supplies. In addition to this, World Vision’s strategically located disaster response warehouses are pre-stocked with relief supplies, allowing the organisation to ship vital aid supplies – water purification tablets, shelter materials, cooking utensils and blankets, for example – without delay.
Disaster teams in each country work with communities on disaster preparedness, including risk recognition, evacuations and early warning systems. Click here for more updates and details of our relief work.
How can you respond?
Adjust your lifestyle to minimise carbon emission
WEAR low carbon:Purchase durable clothes. Buy only what you need and what you will wear for years. Remember that producing new clothes consumes energy and resources.
EAT low carbon: Eating more vegetable and less red meat is good for both your health and the environment. Choose seasonal food and support local produce will also help reduce energy consumption and carbon emission due to shorter transport distance. In addition, excessive chemicals and packaging can be avoided with simple fresh keeping procedures.
LIVE low carbon: Choose energy-efficient appliances. In Hong Kong, air conditioner is the number one electricity-consuming household appliance. By keeping a reasonable temperature (e.g. 25℃) or use it alternately with fans, less heat and carbon will be released.
TRAVEL low carbon: If your destination is within walking distance, allow yourself enough time to go by foot. Otherwise, public transport in Hong Kong is plentiful and convenient, make good use of it! If you must drive, consider the followings to lower carbon emissions:
- Keep your tires fully inflated can help reduce carbon dioxide emission.
- Go hybrid. Hybrid or low-emission cars are less polluting.
- Give your friends a ride. A full car is more efficient!
Further learning resources
How We Help
Global perspective
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world leaders adopted the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030 (UNDP 2015).
In the last 15 years, the
MDGs succeeded in mobilising support for development and led to some success in the fight against hunger, diseases and illiteracy. However, despite these achievements, climate crises have posed an increasingly serious threat to international development efforts.
Often, the poorest and most vulnerable suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, including natural disasters.
Goal 13 of SDGs urges us to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts”, which is a direct response to the issue of climate change.
Summary of Goal 13: Climate Action
-
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
-
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
-
Improve education, awareness-raising and international capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
-
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation
-
Strengthen capacity for effective planning and management in least developed countries and small islands, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalised communities
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a climate agreement adopted by the 195 member states of the United Nations at the 2015 UN Climate Summit. It replaces the Kyoto Protocol and hopes to jointly curb the global warming trend.
The Paris Agreement brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and to assist developing countries to do so. The Agreement sets a clear goal of keeping the global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and controlling the temperature rise even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster the development of low greenhouse gas emissions, in a manner that does not threaten food production. To achieve the above, all parties need to design their financial flows, technology frameworks, action plans and do regular reporting for low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. At the same time, support will be given to the developing countries and the most vulnerable countries to help them realise their own national objectives.
What World Vision is doing
World Vision works with vulnerable communities to increase their resilience to climate change, as well as providing assistance when disasters occur. Our approaches include mitigation, adaptation and disaster relief.
-
Mitigation: Avoid the unmanageable
This approach involves reducing carbon dioxide gas emissions and stopping the problem of climate change from growing. This means burning less fossil fuel (coal, oil and natural gas) and introducing clean energy and energy-efficient approaches.
Another way to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is reforestation and the conservation of existing forests that helps absorbing carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere.
FMNR is a low-cost land restoration technique used to combat poverty and hunger amongst poor subsistence farmers by increasing food and timber production and resilience to climate extremes. In practice, FMNR involves the systematic regrowth and management of trees and shrubs from felled tree stumps, sprouting root systems or seeds. The regrown trees and shrubs – integrated into crops and grazing pastures – help restore soil structure and fertility, inhibit erosion and soil moisture evaporation, rehabilitate springs and the water table, and increase biodiversity. Some tree species also impart nutrients such as nitrogen into the soil.
World Vision is now an “Observer” organisation of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture (GACSA). GACSA is an information sharing, advocacy and networking platform and aspires to be a voluntary and transparent association of members committed to fostering sustainable change in agricultural practices.
-
Adaptation: Manage the unavoidable
Adaptation involves learning how to live with existing climate change and protecting ourselves from the future effects of climate change. For example, this includes farmers growing drought resistant crops and learning new ways in ‘climate-smart’ agricultural interventions and sustainable land management practices.
World Vision Australia has a dedicated Food Security and Climate Change team that develops and oversees a pipeline of global development projects with communities, governments and world-class partners across Africa, South America, South Asia and the Pacific region.
-
Disaster response
In response to extreme weather events, World Vision acts: before, during and after disasters strike. To be able to help communities affected by disasters, World Vision needs to ensure community readiness before the emergency. Most regions where World Vision works maintain their own stockpiles of relief items, such as tarpaulins, household kits and water carriers, plus reliable access to emergency food supplies. In addition to this, World Vision’s strategically located disaster response warehouses are pre-stocked with relief supplies, allowing the organisation to ship vital aid supplies – water purification tablets, shelter materials, cooking utensils and blankets, for example – without delay.
Disaster teams in each country work with communities on disaster preparedness, including risk recognition, evacuations and early warning systems. Click here for more updates and details of our relief work.
How can you respond?
Adjust your lifestyle to minimise carbon emission
WEAR low carbon:Purchase durable clothes. Buy only what you need and what you will wear for years. Remember that producing new clothes consumes energy and resources.
EAT low carbon: Eating more vegetable and less red meat is good for both your health and the environment. Choose seasonal food and support local produce will also help reduce energy consumption and carbon emission due to shorter transport distance. In addition, excessive chemicals and packaging can be avoided with simple fresh keeping procedures.
LIVE low carbon: Choose energy-efficient appliances. In Hong Kong, air conditioner is the number one electricity-consuming household appliance. By keeping a reasonable temperature (e.g. 25℃) or use it alternately with fans, less heat and carbon will be released.
TRAVEL low carbon: If your destination is within walking distance, allow yourself enough time to go by foot. Otherwise, public transport in Hong Kong is plentiful and convenient, make good use of it! If you must drive, consider the followings to lower carbon emissions:
- Keep your tires fully inflated can help reduce carbon dioxide emission.
- Go hybrid. Hybrid or low-emission cars are less polluting.
- Give your friends a ride. A full car is more efficient!
Further learning resources