The Paris Agreement leaves us wanting more

The agreement recognises the need for countries to adapt to climate change and pledge financial resources for the world’s most vulnerable. But it falls short by not agreeing specific measures and clear financial targets for achieving its goals.

The new climate deal’s ambitions include:

• To peak greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible
• To keep global temperature increase "well below" 2C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5C

$100 billion a year in climate finance for developing countries by 2020, with a commitment to further finance in the future.

Food Security

For the first time food security - which exists “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life" -  has been included in the preamble of the agreement. Action Against Hunger welcomes this significant recognition of the link between climate change and food security. We will continue to remind states that they have underlined the need to protect food security and end hunger.

Lack of Ambition

In refusing to anchor the agreement to human rights and by stating that a reduction in greenhouse gases mustn’t threaten agricultural production, countries are resisting the changes needed – however urgent and necessary – to transform their agricultural systems into models that pollute less. As Bertrand Noiret, food security expert at Action Against Hunger, said: “It is regrettable that instead of strongly recognising the need to increase efforts to guarantee the food security of people most impacted by climate change, countries are being allowed to continue to promote non sustainable agricultural practices such as land grabbing and deforestation.”

We will continue to support vulnerable people

Climate change is making natural disasters, such as floods and droughts, more frequent and intense, land and water more scarce and difficult to access, and increases in agricultural productivity even harder to achieve. These impacts mean that many more people are going hungry.

Here at Action Against Hunger, we will continue to help people adapt to the changes they're experiencing and mitigate the impact climate change is having on their lives. This includes helping people to strengthen and intensify their options to earn an income and access food, introducing social protection schemes such as cash-for-work schemes and introducing early warning systems which alert local authorities and international agencies to impending shortages of water or pasture. We remain committed to hold governments to account on their promises and work with the most vulnerable to adapt and prepare for future shocks.

Written by Karen Attwood