The Role of Third Sector Organizations in the Mitigation of Climate Change Impacts

The negative impacts of Climate Change in Planetary Health are currently undeniable, conditioning the pathway towards a Sustainable Development model. The UN 2030 Agenda sets out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and makes it clear that achieving them will only be possible with the active involvement of various actors in society. The third sector, being a model for cooperation, development, and civil society participation, has a key role to play in the promotion of the well-being of our planet. This text aims to highlight the contribution of third sector organizations to the mitigation of climate change’s negative effects on planetary health. A case study focusing good-practice examples from a sample of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in different contexts worldwide shows that climate action principles are being set in practice by NGOs through awareness raising and advocacy initiatives, through field interventions directed to vulnerable communities, and also through changes in organizational internal practices. The case study demonstrates that the third sector’s experience and knowledge regarding the problems of vulnerable communities is of the utmost importance to develop and implement mitigation and adaptation solutions to face the consequences of a changing climate.