COP 26: India Signs Sustainable Agriculture Policy Action Agenda

27 countries signed a sustainable agriculture action agenda at the end of the first week of the COP 26 meetings in Glasgow, United Kingdom. New commitments were made specifically to decrease pollution and make farming more sustainable in the coming years.

The nations made fresh promises to reform their agricultural policies to make them more sustainable and less polluting, as well as to invest in the science required for sustainable agriculture and preserving food supply from climate change. Some countries like UAE also unveiled a new agricultural development plan targeted at enhancing the efficiency of sustainable farming.

The President of COP 26 Alok Sharma also stated regarding this pledge that "If we are to limit global warming and keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive, then the world needs to use land sustainably and put protection and restoration of nature at the heart of all we do,"

His analysis on the commitments made on the last day of the first week of COP 26 was also insightful and touched on the importance of following through with the commitments.

“The commitments being made today show that nature and land use is being recognised as essential to meeting the Paris Agreement goals, and will contribute to addressing the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Meanwhile, as we look ahead to negotiations in week two of COP, I urge all parties to come to the table with the constructive compromises and ambitions needed," said Alok Sharma

Other signatories of the  'Sustainable Agriculture Policy Action Agenda” beside India were Australia, Uganda, Madagascar, Tanzania, Vietnam, Nigeria, Lesotho, Laos, Indonesia, Guinea, Ghana, Germany, Philippines, Ethiopia, UK, Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Spain, Switzerland and the UAE.

The end of the first Cop 26 week in Glasgow however was also accompanied by protests in the streets of Glasgow organised by Greta Thunberg the Swedish activist who was joined by thousands at the "Global Day of Action for Climate Justice" march.