Coastal cities and 
settlements play an important role in advancing climate resilient 
development due to the high number of people living in the Low 
Elevation Coastal Zone, the escalating and climate compounded risk 
that they face, and their vital role in national economies and beyond 
(high conﬁdence). {WGII SPM.D.3, WGII SPM D.3.3; WGIII SPM E.2, 
WGIII SPM E.2.2; SR1.5 SPM D.6}
Observed adverse impacts and related losses and damages, 
projected risks, trends in vulnerability, and adaptation limits 
demonstrate that transformation for sustainability and climate 
resilient development action is more urgent than previously 
assessed (very high conﬁdence). Climate resilient development 
integrates adaptation and GHG mitigation to advance 
sustainable development for all. Climate resilient development 
pathways have been constrained by past development, emissions and 
climate change and are progressively constrained by every increment 
of warming, in particular beyond 1.5°C (very high conﬁdence). 
Climate resilient development will not be possible in some regions 
and sub-regions if global warming exceeds 2°C (medium conﬁdence). 
Safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems is fundamental to climate 
resilient development, but biodiversity and ecosystem services have 
limited capacity to adapt to increasing global warming levels, making 
climate resilient development progressively harder to achieve beyond 
1.5°C warming (very high conﬁdence). {WGII SPM D.1, WGII SPM D.1.1, 
WGII SPM D.4, WGII SPM D.4.3, WGII SPM D.5.1; WGIII SPM D.1.1} 
The cumulative scientiﬁc evidence is unequivocal: climate change 
is a threat to human well-being and planetary health (very 
high conﬁdence). Any further delay in concerted anticipatory 
global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and 
rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and 
sustainable future for all (very high conﬁdence). Opportunities for 
near-term action are assessed in the following section.