Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for Food Systems

Policymakers can improve the chances of achieving climate goals and limiting global warming to 1.5^oC by making more specific commitments to transforming national food systems. Enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for Food Systems, a new report by WWF, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), EAT and Climate Focus, finds countries are missing significant opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and identifies 16 ways policymakers could take more action, from farm to fork.

Currently, diets and food loss and waste are widely ignored, but by adding them to national climate plans, policymakers can improve their mitigation and adaptation contributions from food systems, by as much as 25 percent. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries are expected to revise or resubmit their NDCs every five years. This year, therefore, policymakers have the opportunity to adopt food systems solutions and set more ambitious targets and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and in turn, improve biodiversity, food security and public health.

This paper seeks to provide guidance and recommendations for policymakers to increase ambition in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement using the climate change mitigation and adaptation potential of a transition to sustainable food systems. 

The guidance and recommendations provided in this paper are meant to serve as a starting point for discussions, future development and to provide a clear way towards measurable, actionable outcomes within their NDCs.