Small Island Developing States (SIDS): The State of Climate Ambition

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a group of low-lying island nations that are home to approximately 65 million people and extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change – despite being responsible for less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on impacts, adaptation and vulnerability confirmed that SIDS are increasingly affected by tropical cyclones, storm surges, droughts, changing precipitation patterns, coral bleaching and invasive species. From 1970 to 2020, SIDS lost USD$ 153 billion due to weather-, climate- and water-related hazards -- a significant amount given that the average GDP for SIDS is USD 13.7 billion (WMO, 2020). For those SIDS whose land lies only five meters or less above sea level, projected sea-level rise represents a direct threat to their existence.

This analysis provides insights on climate ambition in SIDS that builds upon, and updates the information, from UNDP’s NDC Global Outlook Report 2021: The State of Global Ambition, published in October 2021.