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ClientEarth calls for a systemic legal and economic transformation of the EU to address climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. Key proposals include appointing a Vice-President of the European Commission for People and the Environment, ending all public subsidies for fossil fuels, and adopting a legally binding framework for sustainable food systems. The document emphasizes the need for increased transparency in legislative processes, better access to justice for civil society in 21 of 27 member states, and the recognition of the right to a healthy environment.

The WWF Markets Institute report outlines key surprises from 2023, including the rapid reach of AI and progress on global plastics, while highlighting systemic risks to the food system from climate change. It argues for a shift toward 'true cost' market mechanisms, the adoption of soil microbiology science, and the use of next-generation genetics to replace chemical inputs. The report emphasizes the need for better Scope 3 emissions traceability, the rehabilitation of stranded assets, and the creation of pre-competitive knowledge-sharing platforms to build global food system resilience.

The Living Planet Report 2024 documents a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations from 1970 to 2020, with freshwater species suffering the most (85%). The report warns that cumulative pressures from habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change are pushing ecosystems toward irreversible tipping points, such as the potential collapse of the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs. It argues that current national commitments for biodiversity and climate are insufficient, and calls for a systemic transformation of the global food system (the leading cause of habitat loss), the energy system (the primary driver of climate change), and the financial system (which currently provides almost US$7 trillion annually in nature-negative flows).

The Living Planet Report 2024 reveals a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2020, with freshwater species suffering the most (85%). The report warns that cumulative pressures from habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change are pushing ecosystems toward irreversible tipping points, such as the collapse of the Amazon rainforest or coral reefs. It argues that current national commitments are insufficient to meet the 1.5°C climate goal or the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets. To avoid catastrophic failure, the document calls for a systemic transformation: shifting to nature-positive food production, tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, and redirecting the $7 trillion in annual harmful subsidies toward nature-based solutions.

The World Resources Institute describes the COP28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels as a historic outcome but warns that the transition requires a massive scale-up in climate finance for developing countries. While praising the activation of the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Goal on Adaptation framework, the statement criticizes the deal's failure to limit the role of carbon capture technology and the lack of quantified targets for adaptation.

The document evaluates the role of novel plant-based, cultivated, and fermentation-derived foods in reducing the environmental and health burdens of conventional animal source foods, while noting the need for further research on socioeconomic and nutritional implications.

The author contends that the global food system requires a transformation focused on 'moving the bottom'—the least efficient 10-20% of producers who generate 60-80% of environmental impacts while producing only 5-10% of the product. The text asserts that improving these producers is the only way to achieve absolute reductions of 50% in food's overall footprint and 80% in food-related GHG emissions. This shift would require governments to mandate a 'license to operate' based on resource limits and could be supported by more responsible producers providing technical or financial assistance. The document emphasizes that incremental change is insufficient and that urgent action is needed to protect biodiversity, soil health, and the climate.

The IISD welcomes the Emirates COP28 Leaders Declaration as a historic first for food systems at a COP, praising its commitment to integrate food and land use into national climate and biodiversity plans by 2025. While the IISD supports the declaration's focus on financial support and the interlinkages between climate and biodiversity, it argues that the document should have explicitly called for the urgent phase-out of fossil fuels within food systems to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target.

The document analyzes 24 "Seed" initiatives across six African countries to understand how marginal, bottom-up projects can drive systemic transformation in food systems. It finds that while these initiatives effectively improve distributional equity—specifically through increased self-sufficiency for vulnerable groups and economic opportunities—they struggle to achieve procedural and recognitional equity. Major barriers include misaligned funding, poor public infrastructure, and restrictive socio-cultural dynamics. The report recommends that development partners move beyond direct financial aid to amplify networks, facilitate collaborations, and support the legal recognition of land ownership to foster deeper systemic change.

The African Climate Foundation (ACF) advocates for COP28 to deliver measurable progress for Africa across the Global Stocktake, adaptation, and finance. The ACF emphasizes that emission reduction targets must be paired with climate finance reforms and the preservation of policy space for African development. Key priorities include a robust Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) with quantified targets, the operationalization of a fit-for-purpose Loss and Damage Fund, and the reform of the global financial system to provide affordable finance and debt restructuring. The ACF also warns against unilateral trade measures, such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which it argues threaten Africa's sustainable development goals.

The document examines the conflict between current global food systems and biodiversity, noting that while food systems depend on natural capital, they are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. It highlights that USD 700 billion in annual government agricultural support often incentivizes harmful practices like the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. To address this, the author analyzes three national case studies: the UK's transition to paying for 'environmental public goods', India's support for organic 'clusters' to improve soil health, and Brazil's ABC+ plan for climate adaptation and low-carbon agriculture. The paper concludes that achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 18 requires better practical guidance for policymakers and greater coherence between international frameworks, including the WTO, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Smallholder farms, particularly those between two and five hectares, produce 46% of the world's food and often exhibit higher land productivity and biodiversity than larger farms. While they are critical for global supply chains of products like coffee, cocoa, and tea, they face a 'yield gap'—ranging from 11% in East Asia to 76% in Sub-Saharan Africa—that could be closed through better access to modern agrifood chains and technology. In Africa, the adoption of climate-smart practices such as agroforestry and organic manure is heavily influenced by the availability of finance and credit. Smallholder agriculture is a primary economic driver in many developing nations, contributing 23% to the GDP of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The briefing identifies four critical areas for COP28 success: adopting a transformational response to the Global Stocktake, accelerating systems transformation in energy, food, and cities, responding to severe climate impacts through the Loss and Damage Fund and adaptation frameworks, and delivering scaled climate finance to vulnerable nations.

The document defends the European Commission's proposed Soil Monitoring Law (SML), asserting that EU-level action is necessary because approximately 60-70% of EU soils are unhealthy and national frameworks are insufficient. It argues that the proposal respects the principle of subsidiarity as the objectives cannot be achieved by Member States alone, and the principle of proportionality by using a Directive format that allows for national flexibility.

The briefing asserts that current Nationally Determined Contributions are collectively insufficient to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals, necessitating that the Global Stocktake provide clear, sector-specific mitigation actions and targets. It proposes a comprehensive list of actions—including phasing out fossil fuels and subsidies, boosting renewables, and decarbonizing industry—to inform the 2030 and 2035 time horizons. The author suggests these outputs be integrated into the CMA cover decision or technical annexes and provide a structured guidance framework for Parties to update their NDCs with achievable targets aligned with IPCC emission reduction goals.

The document outlines key recommendations for the first Global Stocktake (GST) at COP28, arguing that the outcome should serve as a 'global accelerator' for climate action. It emphasizes the need for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with ambitious 2030 and 2035 targets, supported by increased climate finance. Specific high-impact areas for acceleration include shifting away from fossil fuels, transforming food and land-use systems, decarbonizing transport, and increasing funding for adaptation and loss and damage.

The document outlines recommendations for a proposed EU legislative framework for a sustainable food system, emphasizing the need for binding targets, corporate due diligence, and mandatory sustainable public procurement to address the food system's contributions to climate change and biodiversity loss.

The document highlights the critical link between food systems and climate change, noting that while agriculture is a high environmental cost and vulnerable to rising temperatures, misinformation is increasingly shaping the views of 'Persuadables' on climate action. It aims to equip communicators with strategies to address four major misleading narratives in the food and climate information environment.

The report serves as a preliminary synthesis of the CASCADES project's WP3, combining quantitative models and qualitative stakeholder analysis to explore how climate change impacts trade-linked systems. It specifically examines food systems, soy supply chains, and energy transition minerals to understand how climate triggers interact with supply chain actors and the policy landscape to affect EU climate resilience.

The report identifies livestock fermentation, rice cultivation, and land-use changes as primary drivers of agri-food methane emissions. It argues that transitioning to plant-rich diets, improving livestock management, and adopting sustainable rice farming can reduce greenhouse gases while improving public health by reducing air pollution and non-communicable diseases.