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Abstract

Strengthening international climate governance is seen as pivotal for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, a systematic understanding of their dynamic interactions remains limited. Given the strong interconnections among the SDGs, climate governance policies designed to advance one goal can significantly influence progress on others, highlighting the need for an integrated analysis to inform effective policymaking. This study develops a global evaluation framework of climate governance based on national legislation and international cooperation across 192 countries. We examine its evolving relationships with the 169 SDG targets using a network-based moving-window analysis and generalized additive models. Our findings suggest that while robust climate governance can foster alignment with multiple SDGs, governance fragmentation and sectoral silos undermine coherence. We also identify the key SDGs that can serve as levers for fostering synergies and tackling trade-offs. Tapping into these levers and strategically aligning policies can be crucial for future climate governance and sustainability. Our study contributes to ongoing debates on multilevel governance and on the design of more integrated and effective sustainability strategies.