Nandita Srivastava

Global methane pledge: An important climate action pathway for Tajikistan

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for approximately 30 percent of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Its high warming power sets the pace for warming in the near term. Recognizing the need for rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions, the European Union and the United States launched the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) at COP26. Participants joining the Pledge agree to take voluntary actions to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030. Members also commit to moving towards improving national greenhouse gas inventory reporting under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. Since the launch, there has been significant mobilization of funds, new national commitments, action pathways at the sectoral level, and expansion in membership. Tajikistan recently joined the GMP with support from activities implemented by the International Food and Policy Research Institute under USAID’s flagship Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative program.

Integrating agrifood system strategies with climate change policies and commitments in Tajikistan

The Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action endorsed by over 150 countries at UNFCCC-COP28 highlights global recognition of the unprecedented adverse climate impacts on food systems resilience and the need to expedite the integration of agriculture and food systems into climate action. While integration is necessary to ensure favorable sectoral level climate action outcomes, there are currently no concrete frameworks and case studies showcasing how to support this integration process at the country level. A recent study focused on Tajikistan uses a conceptual framework to undertake such an integration analysis of key national level climate change related and agriculture policy documents. It identifies synergies and existing gaps and provides recommendations on strengthening sectoral integration to achieve climate change goals. This study was funded by the USAID mission in Tajikistan and USAID’s Comprehensive Action for Climate Change Initiative (CACCI)-Asia under their support to the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP) of Tajikistan toward the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through technical support from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Sustainable Development Goal 1: Ending poverty