New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments

Professor Erica Lyman and the Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment (GLA) at Lewis & Clark Law School have partnered with a number of international organizations to launch the first-of-its-kind scorecard for food systems’ impact on climate. The Food Systems Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Scorecard assesses the integration of food systems in NDCs and provides a measure of how well countries are meeting the needs of the moment, identifying areas needing further attention and showcasing leading examples to inspire improved action in the future.

The Food Systems NDC website explains that “food systems’ encompass the entire spectrum of actors, processes, and infrastructures that are involved in producing, processing, distributing, consuming, and disposing of food. They’re responsible for approximately one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions but are often missing in the grand scheme of climate action plans. Even if fossil fuel emissions stopped today, food emissions alone would raise global temperatures above 1.5°C and make even the 2°C goal difficult to achieve. Aligning food systems with a pathway to meeting these targets will require action at all stages of the food system.”

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-legally binding climate action plans submitted by each country that is a Party to the Paris Agreement. These plans outline goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, with updates required every five years.

The scorecard highlights both progress made and areas for improvement with an aim to drive accountability and stronger climate action worldwide. Professor Lyman explained, “NDCs drive both the implementation of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal and national climate priorities and actions; for this reason, they must holistically integrate climate-friendly food systems policies.”

For this ambitious project, GLA partnered with Mercy For Animals, an international nonprofit animal protection organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species, EAT, a global nonprofit focused on transforming the global food system to be healthier and more sustainable, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, a nonprofit alliance driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition.