Addressing the impacts of climate change

HE Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment, Chair of the COP28 Food Systems Group, said that to achieve the Paris Agreement goals of keeping global temperature rise within the 1.5°C threshold, we must address the nexus between global food, agriculture, and climate systems.

“At COP28, we created a platform for action, committing 152 countries to transform their food systems and embed those commitments in their climate strategies, while also ensuring they protect the livelihoods of those who depend on them. Together, we must build a global food system fit for the future. Food, Agriculture and Water Day at COP28 marks a pivotal moment in achieving this,” the UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment stressed.

*COP28 closing plenary session in Dubai, United Arab Emirates*

The Food, Agriculture and Water Day at COP28 concluded a two-week thematic programme. The announcements made on the day build on those made at the World Climate Action Summit (WCAS) earlier.

Here are the key announcements on food systems transformation from Food, Agriculture and Water Day

Agricultural Innovation for Climate (AIM4Climate)

Under the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4Climate), a total of $3.4 billion in additional funding is available for climate-smart food and agriculture systems. Launched by the UAE and the US at COP26, AIM4Climate has grown to become the largest coordination and advocacy framework to scale up dual food-climate investments.

Announcement of $389 million to support food producers and consumers

Philanthropic donors have announced $389 million in funding to advance the ambitious goals agreed by leaders in the Declaration.

Technical Cooperation (TCC)

Building on a $200 million commitment from the COP28 Presidency and a group of international organisations and governments to support the TCC, Italy said it would provide an additional commitment of up to EUR10 million over the next two years and the UK announced a new commitment of £45 million over the next five years, which will be channelled through the World Bank’s Food Systems 2030 Trust Fund.

Call to action to transform food systems for people, nature and climate

More than 200 non-state actors – including farmers, cities, businesses, financial institutions, civil society and charities – have committed to the “Call to Action to Transform Food Systems for People, Nature and Climate,” said HE Razan Al Mubarak, UN High-Level Champion on Climate Change at COP28.

Parties committed to 10 priority actions to transform food systems. They also agreed to call for a set of time-bound, comprehensive and global targets by COP29 at the latest, and to include commitments to respect the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples.

Integrated Food Systems and Climate Initiative

UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed launched the Integrated Food Systems and Climate Initiative, which aims to support countries’ efforts to integrate agriculture and food systems into their climate action plans and accelerate momentum towards the Declaration’s goals. The initiative is supported by the UN Food Systems Coordination Centre in strategic partnership with the UAE.

Sharm-El Sheikh Agricultural Support Program

The UAE, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Bank, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have announced the establishment of the Sharm-El Sheikh Agricultural Support Programme, a three-year programme to facilitate dialogue and knowledge sharing among global countries and regional policymakers.

The programme aims to foster consensus within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process and ultimately enable countries and regions to access finance and support for farmers, food producers, small agricultural businesses and local communities.

COP28 National Action Toolkit on Food - Agriculture - Climate

A consortium comprising FAO, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Partnership, Climate Focus and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food launched the “COP28 Food-Agriculture-Climate National Action Toolkit for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)”.

Created in collaboration with the German government, the toolkit will provide guiding principles for governments to strengthen their climate policy frameworks and is an important resource for countries as they implement the Declaration.

Alliance of Food Systems Transformation Champions (AFC)

A new alliance has been formed by Brazil, Cambodia, Norway and Sierra Leone to help reorient policies, practices and investment priorities to deliver better food system outcomes for people, nature and the climate. Each country forming the ACF is committed to improving its national food system and building on the progress of the Declaration.

In addition to the food systems outcomes, the Food, Agriculture and Water Day also produced important water outcomes, including:

Water and climate resilient infrastructure investment strategy

Water Equity has announced $100 million as part of its Water and Climate Resilient Infrastructure Investment Strategy, which will accelerate impactful investments in climate-resilient water infrastructure to build resilience for the most vulnerable communities in urban water systems and river basins in emerging markets of South and Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.

Urban Water Improvement Initiative (UWCI)

Germany and the Netherlands, together with the EU and other international partners, announced the decision to establish the Urban Water Improvement Initiative (UWCI) at the 2023 United Nations Water Conference. UWCI focuses on accelerating the transformation of urban water schemes worldwide and mobilizing finance to improve efficiency, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure and improve access for water-poor populations.

At COP28, EUR 42 million in funding was announced for UWCI, including EUR 32 million from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and EUR 10 million from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The challenge of fresh water

The COP28 President and partners announced more than 30 new member states of the “Freshwater Challenge”, pledging members to work to protect and restore 30% of the Earth’s degraded freshwater ecosystems by 2030.

The water announcements build on the work of the World Climate Action Summit. The UAE pledged $150 million in innovation to address water scarcity, and eight Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) announced they would double the number of people benefiting annually from water technical and financial assistance within three years.

The COP28 water agenda is built on partnerships with the Netherlands and Tajikistan. Its aim is to implement the outcomes of the 2023 UN Water Conference.

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