COP28 in the United Arab Emirates: more than 130 nations agree to include food and agriculture in climate plans – News

More than 130 countries agreed to prioritize food and agriculture in their national climate plans at COP28 in Dubai on Friday in a move hailed by observers despite fears over their silence on the role of fossil fuels.

Food systems are estimated to be responsible for about a third of human-produced greenhouse gases, but are increasingly threatened by global warming and biodiversity loss.

A total of 134 countries producing 70 percent of the food consumed worldwide signed the declaration, the summit hosts, the United Arab Emirates, said.

“There is no path to achieving the goals of the Paris climate agreement and keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach without urgently addressing the interactions between food systems, agriculture and the climate,” said the UAE’s climate change minister. , Mariam Almheiri.

Mariam Almheiri. — AP Archive

The statement said countries will strengthen efforts to integrate food systems into their emissions reduction plans.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp channels.

Nations will also make efforts to support farmers and other vulnerable food producers, including through increased financing, more infrastructure and the development of early warning systems, he added.

He also emphasized the importance of restoring the land, moving away from agricultural practices that emit greenhouse gases, and reducing food loss.

The United States, the European Union, China and Brazil were among the countries that signed the declaration.

The 134 nations are home to 5.7 billion people and account for more than three-quarters of all greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system, or 25 percent of total emissions worldwide, according to the statement. COP28.

US think tank World Resources Institute praised the announcement.

“This declaration is the moment when food truly comes of age in the climate process, sending a powerful signal to the world’s nations that we can only keep the 1.5 degrees goal in sight if we act quickly.” said the group’s chief executive, Ani Dasgupta. .

However, Patty Fong of the Global Alliance for the Future of Food said the statement not making direct reference to fossil fuels was a “glaring omission”.

“The declaration does not set out how governments will address food emissions and makes no reference to fossil fuels, even though food systems account for at least 15 percent of the fossil fuels burned each year, equivalent to emissions from all the EU countries and Russia. combined,” he said.

Sustainability group IPES-Food also criticized what it said was vague language and a lack of concrete actions or targets.

There was “no commitment to shift to healthy, sustainable diets or to reduce overconsumption of industrially produced meat,” the group said.

[ad_2]