The Climate-Poverty Connections report by Project Drawdown illustrates the co-benefits that can arise from addressing climate change and extreme poverty simultaneously. The report emphasises that people living in extreme poverty are more vulnerable to natural disasters and are typically situated in the regions most impacted by climate change. The co-benefits of addressing climate change in ways that simultaneously improve human well-being are commonly overlooked. The report shows that these benefits can yield broad socioeconomic, health, and ecological gains, making addressing poverty and climate change simultaneously an effective strategy.

Project Drawdown identified more than 80 climate solutions that are safe, equitable, financially viable, and have proven potential to reduce GHG emissions while generating benefits for poverty alleviation and human well-being. This report builds on that framework by examining 28 of Drawdown’s most promising climate solutions and 12 dimensions of Human Well-Being (HWB) in rural communities in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa to determine how ecological, equity, and biodiversity goals can be met coincidentally with poverty reduction and sustainable development goals.

The report highlights the need for significant expansion of annual investments in climate solutions. The authors estimate the need for $1.6-$3.8 trillion annually to fund climate solutions, with private investments required to address the full scope of climate change. Private sector engagement has gained momentum, and investment firms can catalyse climate action. The report commends recent innovative funds and new finance mechanisms for shifting climate action to bring about a global transformation that enables low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to improve agricultural productivity, reduce risk and achieve self-identified needs.

The global community needs to ensure that the most affected by climate change, and often the least responsible for it, have access to resources necessary to adapt and mitigate to meet their self-identified needs and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come. A more holistic approach to climate solutions and poverty alleviation is needed to assemble additional evidence of HWB co-benefits. The report highlights that many climate solutions can serve dual roles of mitigating GHG emissions and improving HWB, and research that evaluates the efficacy of those solutions will help to develop effective policies and investments. Decision-makers must leverage the incentives and strengths of public and private finance, use existing finance tools and institutions to manage risk, and pursue innovation.

In conclusion, the report outlines the co-benefits of addressing climate change and poverty concurrently. The report highlights the need for more investments, the importance of private sector engagement, and research around efficacy to create effective policies and investments. By focusing on LMIC communities in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the report shows the potential benefits that can be achieved if environmental solutions were implemented to help alleviate poverty.