Mr. Michael O'Brien:

I will respond more broadly about the interconnections between climate and agriculture and food systems. As we know, agriculture and food systems account for up to 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Historically, they have not been a central part of the COP negotiations.

It is encouraging to see how, at this COP, they are being given a higher profile.

Sustainable food systems transformation has been recognised as an imperative not only in terms of meeting the Paris Agreement objectives but also in respect of the sustainable development goals. There is general consensus on the need to support just transitions through solutions that are known to support social equity and environmental justice. There are distinct opportunities for Ireland at this particular COP, given the higher profile that the Presidency and indeed the COP agenda has given to this interconnection. These specifically relate to the global stocktake, where Ireland is already a member of the food systems transformation coalition that was established in 2021 as part of the food systems summit on transformation through agroecology. Ireland can indeed be a progressive voice in promoting recognition at this COP for the adoption of agroecology as a pathway towards maintaining healthy, productive food systems under climate change not only in the global stocktake outcome and the political outcome, but also in a process that was established at the last COP called the Sharm El-Sheikh joint work on implementation of climate and agriculture and food security, and finally, in the emirates' initiative for a declaration on resilient food systems, sustainable agriculture and climate action. Each of these forums, in each of these threads at this COP, there is an opportunity for Ireland to show leadership in relation to the coalition it has joined, which it sees as part of the transformation of food systems.