Sustainable development and challenges in the face of climate change
Keywords:
sustainable development, climate change, mitigation, adaptation, climate justice.Abstract
Climate change is one of the obstacles to achieving sustainable development because it intensifies social and economic risks, aggravates inequalities and jeopardises progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. This article uses a narrative review to analyse the relationships between sustainability and climate change, together with the challenges, responses and opportunities shaping action. Articles and institutional reports published between 2015 and 2025 were examined through Scopus, Web of Science and repositories by international organisations. The literature was organised into five themes: climate risk; effects on human and natural systems; mitigation; adaptation and resilience; and governance, finance and climate justice. The findings show that rising temperatures, extreme events and ecosystem degradation threaten food, water, health and energy security, with disproportionate effects on vulnerable populations. Although renewable energy, efficiency, the circular economy, nature-based solutions and demand-side changes offer simultaneous benefits, their expansion remains constrained by fossil-fuel dependence, financial gaps, unequal institutional capacities and fragmented policies. Adaptation is advancing, yet it remains incremental and does not match the scale of present and future risks. The review concludes that confronting the climate crisis requires mitigation and adaptation to be integrated into development policies, multilateral cooperation to be strengthened, sufficient finance to be mobilised and costs and benefits to be distributed equitably. A just, participatory and evidence-informed transition can reduce vulnerability, safeguard ecological systems and sustain human well-being within planetary boundaries. Achieving this transformation also requires coherent planning, credible net-zero commitments, inclusive institutions and monitoring that effectively identifies trade-offs and adjusts interventions across sectors and generations.
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