On the road to COP30, FAO scales up its support to countries on NDCs

Copenhagen, Denmark - Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is accelerating its support to countries in the development and implementation of climate action plans with resilient and low-emission agriculture and food systems at their core. 

More countries are calling for support with agrifood systems as they update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), but less than half are receiving the assistance they need – assistance that FAO is well able to provide. These were key messages delivered by FAO representatives at a meeting of the NDC Partnership Select Committee in Copenhagen this week.

Deputy Director of the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) Piedad Martín and the Global Manager of the SCALA programme Julia Wolf are attending the meeting, the first held since FAO joined the Select Committee earlier this year. They say that including FAO as a key implementing partner in the Partnership’s new 2026-2030 Work Program would go a long way to satisfying the growing demand for assistance.

“FAO stands ready to support the NDC Partnership to close this critical gap through its wide network of in house and external technical expertise in the sector and convening power among key NDC government and non-state practitioners,” Ms Martín emphasizes. “The recently extended FAO-UNDP flagship SCALA programme, funded by Germany’s Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative, is a tried and tested vehicle to provide NDC support. And as countries strive to submit their new generation NDCs in 2025, FAO is redoubling its efforts, including through a dedicated project funded by Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).”

Shaping NDCs is crucial 

The collective efforts of countries to combat climate change laid out in their NDCs will determine whether the world can meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The third round of climate action plans submitted this year (NDC 3.0) may be the last opportunity to align global emission trajectories with the 1.5 °C temperature goal.

The increase in extreme weather, heat, droughts and pests and diseases is undermining food security.  Agrifood systems are also responsible for close to 30% of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As such, they must play a key role in national mitigation and adaptation efforts. It is estimated that greater conservation, restoration and management of the world’s forests, wetlands, grasslands and agricultural lands could reduce one-third of GHG emissions globally and boost the resilience of ecosystems and communities vulnerable to climate change.

Key findings of an FAO global analysis revealed that a large majority of countries recognized the importance of agrifood systems in the second round of NDCs, with 94% of countries including adaptation actions and 91% mitigation actions. But that last generation of NDCs address only around 40% of emissions and cover only about one-sixth of the climate finance required to bring about their transformation – an estimated USD 1.1 trillion annually. 

FAO scales up NDC support

The opportunity to raise ambitions and close this gap in NDC 3.0 cannot be missed. FAO is supporting countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia to update these next-round NDCs. It facilitates their efforts across the wide spectrum of this task, from planning and design to implementation and monitoring of their climate action plans, in a bid to transform agrifood systems. 

FAO provides technical expertise and institutional support, building and enhancing national capacities to carry out climate risk and vulnerability assessments, set emission reduction targets and adaptation goals, as well as design and assess net zero strategies and adaptation actions, among others. The Organization helps mainstream agrifood NDC priorities into national and sectoral policies, plans and budgets.

In addition, FAO helps countries access finance to implement their NDCs on the ground, through a variety of mechanisms, including the Food and Agriculture for Sustainable Transformation (FAST) Partnership; the FAO partnership with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which has unlocked over USD 1.5 billion for climate projects; the FAO- Global Environment Facility (GEF) climate change portfolio, providing over USD 521 million in grants; multilateral partnerships including the NDC Partnership Action Fund (PAF); and the FAO private sector engagement strategy.  

FAO is assisting countries to establish systems and processes for tracking agrifood systems in NDCs and reporting on progress to the UNFCCC through Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). The Organization is currently implementing 28 Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) projects across more than 20 countries. It is also providing technical support for the design of eight national projects for the Global capacity building towards enhanced transparency (CBIT-AFOLU+) project, supporting approximately 20 countries to strengthen transparency systems and enhance NDC ambition.

FAO publishes guidelines and training materials, as well as global and sectoral analyses documenting case studies and good practices in achieving NDCs. The Organization has 50+ planning and assessment tools and platforms, including the Climate Risk Toolbox, the Nationally Determined Contributions Expert Tool (NEXT) and the Toolkit for national action on climate, biodiversity, and water in agriculture and food systems, which contribute to strengthening countries' capacity to prepare, implement, effectively report and update their NDCs.

On a global and regional level, FAO also helps raise awareness and advocates for agrifood climate solutions in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes, climate conferences and negotiations. This includes leading the FAST Partnership and collaborating with key partners like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the NAP Global Network, and the NDC Partnership itself.

FAO offered 118 countries support with the implementation, revision and monitoring processes of their NDCs in 2023. By 2024, at least 44 FAO projects had a strong NDC component, most addressing both mitigation and adaptation efforts. The Organization is now committed to building upon and expanding its existing portfolio of support on NDCs, to help developing countries expand their action for building resilience and environmental sustainability in agrifood systems. 

Through its NDC Agrifood System Help Desk, FAO provides a bespoke response to country requests for support. The platform delivers the Organization’s knowledge resources, tools and data, as well as technical expertise, and provides a forum for regional knowledge exchanges and partnerships, as required. The Help Desk has been recognized as a key element in the recently released Guidance Note on NDCs for the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. This Alliance was established during the Brazilian presidency of the G20 to support and accelerate efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty.  

FAO’s support on NDC 3.0 is featured on the UNFCCC one-stop-shop portal, NDC3.0. FAO knowledge resources and resources feed into the interactive NDC navigator, led by the NDC Partnership and UNFCCC.

Partnering for NDC implementation

FAO has been an active partner of the NDC Partnership since its launch in 2016 and is working across its initiatives and with its membership to lead the global momentum for agrifood solutions in NDCs. Joining the Partnership Steering Committee presents FAO with an important opportunity to further catalyze international collaboration on climate action and sustainable development.

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