Governments and companies, along with farmers and local communities, are teaming up at COP26 to make sustainable agricultural and land use methods more appealing, accessible, and affordable than non-sustainable options.
The first week of COP26 comes to a close amid the celebrations commemorating Nature and Land Use Day, with discussions picking up steam and preparations for week two underway.
About 26 countries, including Nigeria, made additional pledges in two “Action Agendas” to reform their agricultural policies to be more sustainable and less polluting, as well as to invest in the research required for sustainable agriculture and preserving food supply from climate change.
India, Colombia, Vietnam, Germany, Ghana, and Australia were among the countries represented — covering all livable continents.
Their commitments will aid in the implementation of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which has now been approved by 134 countries representing 91 per cent of the world’s forests.
The declaration is aimed at preventing and reversing land degradation and forest loss by 2030.
COP26 President, Alok Sharma, said: “If we are to limit global warming and keep the goal of 1.5 degree Celcius alive, then the world needs to use land sustainably and put protection and restoration of nature at the heart of all we do.”
“The commitments being made show that nature and land use is being recognised as essential to meeting the Paris Agreement goals, and will contribute to addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.”
