Emirates Leaders Declaration at COP 28 an Important Step in Advancing Resilient Food Systems

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) welcomes the Emirates COP28 Leaders Declaration as a historic first for food systems and climate, noting its endorsement by 134 heads of state and its commitment to integrate food and land use into national climate and biodiversity plans by 2025. While praising its focus on financial support and Indigenous knowledge, IISD criticizes the declaration for failing to explicitly demand the phase-out of fossil fuels within food systems to meet the 1.5°C warming limit.

• The Emirates COP28 Leaders Declaration is the first leaders-level declaration on food systems and climate at a COP. It has been endorsed by 134 heads of state and government, including major food-producing nations such as China, the United States, and Brazil.
• The declaration establishes a time-bound commitment for signatory countries to include food and land use in several national frameworks by 2025, specifically nationally determined contributions (NDCs), national adaptation plans (NAPs), long-term strategies (LTSs), and national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs). A progress review is scheduled for COP 29 in 2024.
• The declaration emphasizes the need for increased financial support for food systems transformation, the scaling of research and innovation that includes knowledge from local communities and Indigenous Peoples, and the repurposing of public policies to simultaneously address ecosystem degradation and greenhouse gas emissions.
• IISD argues that the declaration is insufficient because it does not explicitly call for the urgent phase-out of fossil fuels within food systems, which IISD considers necessary to meet Paris Agreement targets of limiting warming to 1.5°C or less.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2023). Emirates Leaders Declaration at COP 28 an Important Step in Advancing Resilient Food Systems. https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/emirates-leaders-declaration-cop-28-important-step-advancing-resilient-food

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Emirates Leaders Declaration at COP 28 an Important Step in Advancing Resilient Food Systems. 2023. https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/emirates-leaders-declaration-cop-28-important-step-advancing-resilient-food.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Emirates Leaders Declaration at COP 28 an Important Step in Advancing Resilient Food Systems |date=1 December 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/emirates-leaders-declaration-cop-28-important-step-advancing-resilient-food |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2023emirates, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Emirates Leaders Declaration at COP 28 an Important Step in Advancing Resilient Food Systems}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/statement/emirates-leaders-declaration-cop-28-important-step-advancing-resilient-food}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }