Read-out of the meeting between FAO Director-General, Dr QU Dongyu, and the President of UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), The Right Honourable Alok Sharma

Today, 11 May 2021, the FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu, had a virtual meeting, with The Right Honourable Alok Sharma, President of UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), and Ambassador Marie-Therese Sarch, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to FAO and Rome-based Agencies, to discuss strengthened engagement for a successful preCOP and COP26. 

Mr Gilbert Houngbo, President of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), also participated in the meeting.

During the meeting, Mr Alok Sharma shared the vision and plans for the COP26 Presidency of cutting emissions to keep 1.5 degrees in reach, and facilitating greater action on adaptation and resource mobilization for climate finance. He highlighted the need for nature-based solutions for climate, policy development frameworks and the appropriate infrastructures to support countries.

The Director-General agreed and underlined the need to move towards a new and fit-for-purpose action plan. A strategy that emphasizes the crucial role of agri-food systems, from production to nutrition to environment, in supporting climate resilience. He noted the importance of safeguarding livelihoods to improve the quality of life while also identifying innovative solutions for a sustainable future for all.

Dr Qu also noted that transforming the agri-food systems entails the identification of comprehensive solutions that better address the limited resources available to achieve the ambitions set forth and proposed the creation of innovative financing tools in order to protect Global Public Goods. He underlined that FAO is committed to this endeavor, through its Strategic framework 2022-31, the four betters - better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life and the identified 20 Programme Priority Areas (PPAs).

The Director-General also reiterated the need to help the most vulnerable, and alluded to the Hand-in-Hand initiative, while also looking at innovative renewable energy solutions and the modernization of Green cities.

Mr Gilbert Houngbo noted actions being undertaken by IFAD to support resource mobilization, upscaling of interventions on the ground, in order to achieve more resilient and sustainable nature based solutions. He agreed that Least Developed Countries (LDC) are in need of leveraged financing, through climate financing and affirmed that IFAD is looking at the appropriate technical support in that regard.

The meeting agreed on the importance of coherent joint action and the potential synergies leading up to COP26 in Glasgow and beyond.

FAO is already supporting the campaigns on Adaptation and Resilience, and Nature through its engagement in the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which supports implementation of the Paris Agreement by enabling collaboration between governments and cities, regions, businesses and investors.

Agri-food systems are key in delivering on the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda and FAO is taking a leading role in supporting Members in the development and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans and activities under the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture.