Nationally Determined Contributions Help Desk | Climate change | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

NDC Agrifood System Help Desk

Welcome to FAO’s dedicated help desk on nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

The NDC Agrifood System Help Desk (NDC Help Desk) seeks to respond to country needs for NDC enhancement in agriculture, agrifood systems and food security.

It aims to provide technical and capacity-building support and practical information to countries updating their NDCs.

What are NDCs?

Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are the main policy framework for countries to communicate their planned efforts to address climate change under the Paris Agreement, which sets three collective goals to:

Limit the rise in global temperature to well below 2 °C and pursue efforts to limit warming to below 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels.
Enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Make financial flows consistent with low-emissions and climate-resilient development.

NDCs are submitted every five years as part of the Paris Agreement’s in-built ambition-raising mechanism.

Most countries are due to submit their third round of NDC commitments (known as “NDC 3.0”) in 2025.

The help desk aims to support these countries, as well as countries submitting second round NDCs.

Agrifood systems at the heart of NDCs

A new global analysis by FAO of NDC commitments up to January 2024 reveals 94 percent of countries include climate action in agrifood systems in their NDCs. Countries see agrifood systems as critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience.

However, the analysis also points to opportunities for enhanced ambition in future NDC iterations. As countries approach the deadline for NDC 3.0 submission in 2025, they are seeking more information and guidance on how to strengthen their national climate plans so that they effectively deliver on their ambition for more inclusive, resilient and low-emission agrifood system transformation.

Agrifood systems in nationally determined contributions: Global analysis

2024

This publication provides an overview of the major climate-related risks and greenhouse hotspots in agrifood systems and synthesizes in seven key findings the main climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies being set forth in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to address them. It also takes stock of the underpinning governance, knowledge and capacity and finance needs articulated to enable climate action in agrifood systems.

How FAO supports developing countries on their nationally determined contributions

2024

This policy brief explains what nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are and why they are important for agriculture, and details FAO's support to countries on NDCs.

What is the NDC Help Desk designed to do?

The NDC Help Desk is designed to assist countries in enhancing the agrifood system component of their new or updated NDC submissions (NDC 3.0) due in 2025. It will be organized around five main pillars of FAO support on NDCs:

Adaptive and resilient agrifood systems – enhancing the institutional and technical capacities of governments and non-state actors to carry out climate risk and vulnerability assessments, set long-term adaptation visions and goals, and appraise and prioritize evidence-based adaptation options

Low-emission and carbon rich agrifood systems – helping countries build institutional and technical capacities to set sectoral greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the near to medium term, define longer-term net zero strategies, and design mitigation policies and actions in their NDCs.

Just agrifood system transition – supporting countries to strengthen local capacities and facilitate multi-stakeholder engagement for the formulation of inclusive and equitable climate solutions.

Transparent agrifood systems – providing tailored assistance to developing countries on establishing national systems and processes for tracking agrifood systems in NDCs and reporting on progress to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).

Agrifood system climate finance catalysation – supporting countries to access climate finance to implement their NDCs.

To ensure coherence between future NDCs and other key planning documents, the Help Desk will promote alignment between agrifood NDC priorities and those in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Long-term Low-emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), and Food System Transformation Pathways.

How does the NDC Help Desk work?

The NDC Help Desk will facilitate requests for NDC support through FAO Regional, Subregional and Country Offices, as well as through lead partners such as the NDC Partnership and Germany’s International Development Agency (GIZ). It will also link to other partners such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), World Bank and CGIAR to align planned activities with the overall NDC enhancement process within the requesting country.

Based on each country’s needs assessment, the NDC Help Desk will consolidate the data, tools and technical guidance available to support policymakers to effectively integrate more ambitious, actionable and investment-ready agrifood system climate solutions into third-round NDCs.

Supported by:

Relevant programmes and projects

Scaling up Climate Ambition on Land Use and Agriculture through Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans (SCALA)

Request support

The NDC Help Desk is designed for representatives of national governments looking to strengthen the agrifood system component of their NDCs.

To request support from FAO and partners, please email: [email protected].

Relevant Publications

Book

Biodiversity and agrifood systems in nationally determined contributions

2024

As countries develop and revise their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), there is growing recognition of the need to integrate biodiversity...