Abstract: Sustainable development and equity are key framing and cross-cutting issues in Working Group III contribution to the IPCC AR5, mentioned in quite a few of chapters. Based on the previous reports and the latest research work, AR5 has highlighted the interacted relationship between climate change, sustainable development and equity, emphasizing comprehensive assessment of climate policies under the framework of sustainable development and equity. There are synergies and/or trade-offs between climate responses and broader sustainable development goals. Thus, AR5 has also highlighted to optimize them to identify co-benefits and reduce adverse side-effects and risks, meanwhile promoting transition of the development pathways.

Key words: sustainable development, equity co-benefit, adverse side-effect, risk, transition of development pathways