Module 1:
Agriculture in the UNFCCC process and the
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
Organized by
With support from

Learning Objectives
Be familiar with the basic background of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto
Protocol and the Paris Agreement
Understand the UNFCCC relation to creation of national climate
change policies
Gain insight into how other policies/strategies relate to mainstreaming
climate change concerns into national planning and budgeting
Understand the NDC formulation process
Be familiar with the NDC reporting requirements

1988
Establishment of IPCC
1992
Adoption of UNFCCC
at the UNCED in Rio
1995
First Conference
of Parties (COP1)
1997
Adoption of
Kyoto Protocol
2009
No agreement reached
for after Kyoto
2015
Adoption of
Paris Agreement
2020
Updating of NDCs and
communication of LTS
UNFCCC Background

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• Established in 1988 to provide a scientific view on
climate change and its potential impacts
• Latest report is AR5 (Fifth Assessment Report)
• AR6 under preparation for release in 2021-2022
• In 2018, Special Report on Global Warming of
1.5°C released
• In 2019:
• Special Report on Land and Climate Change
• Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere
in a changing climate

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 1992
• Adopted in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Objective: “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level
that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system …
ensure that food production is not threatened…”

• Adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and came into force in 2005
• Objective: “reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming in 41
countries and the European Union to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the first
commitment period 2008–12.”
• Target GHGs: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O),
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
• Flexible mechanisms: Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI)
and Emissions Trading (ET).
• Doha Amendments to KP - second commitment period 2012-20 reduce their GHG
emissions by at least 18% by 2020 below 1990 levels” was adopted in 2012 in Doha,
Qatar. Not in force as not ratified by requisite 144 countries.
Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention On Climate
Change, 1997

Paris Agreement on Climate Change, 2015
• Adopted: in 2015 in Paris, France
• Objective: Collective global response that “limit temperature increase to well below 2oC above
pre-industrial levels and work towards limiting temperature to 1.5°C”; enhance adaptation and
climate resilience; and make climate finance flows aligned to low emission, climate resilient
development pathway.
• All Countries submit long term strategy (LTS) by 2020; Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs) every five years; and global stocktake (GST) in 2023 and every five years thereafter.
• Developed countries to mobilize $100 billion per year till 2025 to support developing countries.

• Advises COP/CMA on science and technology (assessments, methodologies, R&D etc)
• Meets twice per year (May/June) and (November/December)
• In 2011 requested by the COP to consider:
“issues relating to agriculture”
• In 2017, requested by the COP to jointly work with SBSTA on Koronivia Joint Work on
Agriculture (KJWA)
Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)

• Advises COP/CMA on implementation (assessment and review of
implementation)
• Assists in the preparation and implementation of COP and CMA decisions
• Reports regularly to the COP/CMA on all its work
• Works with SBSTA on cross-cutting issues
• In 2017, requested by the COP to jointly work with SBSTA on Koronivia Joint
Work on Agriculture (KJWA)
Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI)

• GHG inventory requirements:
by developed countries in annual
GHG inventory submissions.
by developing countries in national
communications.
• GHG inventory is critical to inform the
NDCs.
National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

But where is agriculture in all of this?
Photo credit: World Bank

History of SBSTA and Agriculture
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Requested
to consider
agriculture
53 submissions
with views on
agriculture
Workshop on
agricultural
adaptation
Call for
submissions
and workshops
Workshops on
early warning
systems and risk
Workshops on
adaptation and
productivity
Decision on
agriculture
adopted
(Koronivia
Joint Work on
Agriculture)

• Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) brings together SBSTA (science) and SBI
(implementation) and to be realized through submissions and workshops
• KJWA topics:
Modalities for Implementation of the outcomes of past workshops and KJWA topics
Methods to assess adaptation, co-benefits and resilience
Improved soil carbon and fertility
Improved nutrient management
Improved livestock systems
Socioeconomic and food security dimensions
Sustainable land and water management to ensure food security
Strategies and Modalities for Scaling Up Implementation of Best Practices
• KJWA to report progress at COP26 (2021).
UNFCCC Decision on Agriculture (decision 4/CP.23), 2017

• Established in 2010 as part of Cancun
Adaptation Framework to facilitate
developing countries to:
identify medium– and long–term
adaptation needs, informed by the latest
climate science
develop and implement adaptation
actions
• Climate finance or support from, e.g.:
Global Environment Facility (GEF)
Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Adaptation Fund (AF)
NAP Global Support Programme
• Agriculture central in many NAPs
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) (PA, Art. 7.9)

• Agreed at COP 18 in Doha for developing
countries to contribute to GHG emission
reduction
• NAMA registry online:
depository of NAMAs seeking
international support
facilitate the matching of finance,
technology and capacity building for
support
• Agricultural NAMAs can be a pathway
for green growth/low emissions dev.
• NAMAs can be building blocks for
implementation of NDCs.
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation
Actions (NAMAs)
ILRI/PaulKaraimu

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) (PA, Art.4)/1
• The Paris Agreement requires all Parties to put forward their best efforts to
contribute to global response to climate change through “nationally determined
contributions” (NDCs)
• Formulation is a bottom-up process in which countries contextualise and self-
differentiate their targets and contributions based on their national circumstances
and priorities
• Successive NDCs to be more ambitious than the previous one (no back sliding)
• All countries strive to move towards economy-wide emission reduction hence link
with the long term strategy (LTS)
• NDCs public registry maintained by the secretariat

• NDCs allow for:
Scrutiny of actions
Global evaluation of targets and progress
Adjustment of existing NDC in course of its life to raise ambition
• Part of the NDCs can be conditional on:
Provision of means of implementation (finance, technology transfer and capacity
building);
International flexibility mechanisms (Cooperative Approaches, Article 6 Mechanism
and Non Market Approaches)
• Agriculture is reflected in many submitted NDCs
Nationally Determined Contributions/2

Key characteristics of NDCs
Ambitious
Transparent
Equitable
Reduction

• NDCs will be reviewed every 5 years during the Global Stocktake (GST)
NDCs and Global Stocktake

2020 NDC tracker (as of July 2020) https://www.climatewatchdata.org/2020-ndc-tracker

Agriculture in the first submitted NDCs

Agriculture in first submitted NDCs - adaptation priorities

Agriculture in the first submitted NDCs - mitigation targets

• NDCs underline countries’ priorities on agricultural adaptation and
mitigation.
• Vast majority of countries recognize the significant role of agriculture
in supporting a secure sustainable development pathway, food security
and poverty reduction.
• Developed countries focus primarily on mitigation, and developing
countries on adaptation with some including synergies between
adaptation and mitigation.
• Social inclusion and human rights are not receiving high levels of
attention in climate change policy either at national or global levels.
Highlights of agriculture in submitted NDCs

Countries can decide the methods used for setting NDC targets. Some differences
between developed countries and developing countries:
Developed
countries
Historical data
as a baseline
Often detailed
by type of GHGs
Developing
countries
Lack of
historical data
Projected BAU
emissions
NDC targets and ambitions

NDC targets and ambitions: Quantification of mitigation targets

Prevalence is on BAU and policy & action targets.
NDC targets and ambitions:
Types of targets

NDC targets and ambitions: Types of targets

Type of target Business as usual
Costs of mitigation/
investment needs
No (partial) costs mentioned
Mitigation focus areas:
agriculture Considered Considered: climate-
smart agriculture
Considered:
sustainable
agriculture
management
Mitigation focus areas: land
use and forestry
Focus area:
afforestation,
sustainable
management of
forests
Considered:
afforestation
Considered
Reducing non-CO2 gases Considered
(CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs,
SF6)
Considered
(CH4, N2O)
Considered
(CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs,
SF6)
Colombia Kenya Vietnam
Target
Reduction of 20% of
GHG emissions
relative to projected
BAU scenario by
2030
Reduction of 30%
GHG emissions by
2030 relative to the
BAU scenario
Reduction of 8% of
GHG emissions by
2030 relative to BAU
scenario
NDC targets and ambitions: Some examples

Mitigation targets every 5 years
increasing the ambition level
Low emissions development
strategies
Mandatory
Voluntary
All parties
Mitigation
• Financial technological and
capacity strengthening support
(quantitative and qualitative)
• Projected levels of public
funding
• Received support
• Progress on training plans,
policies, actions and measures
to implement the agreement.
Mandatory
Voluntary
Support
Developed countries
Other countries
Voluntary Developing countries
Reporting on adaptation is optional
The Enhanced Transparency Framework (PA, Art. 13)

Paris agreement provides a framework for a collective global response to
reduce climate change impacts, however climate action happens at the
national, subnational and local levels.
Agriculture is key for both adaptation and mitigation of climate change
and food security in which means of implementation (finance, technology
transfer and capacity building) is required.
Research and technical support is crucial for formulation and implementation
of NDCs and to establish a robust M&E and MRV frameworks in which
capacity building is essential.
Key messages

The evolving role of agriculture in
climate change negotiations:
Progress and players
Webinar: Synthesis report on the
aggregate effect of INDCs
NDC Explorer
Click on the image to access the document or video
Further resources