Building on years of bilateral cooperation to tackle global climate challenges together, the UAE and US are leading the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate).
AIM for Climate officially launched at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) under the co-leadership of the UAE and US.
At COP28, the UAE took an unprecedented approach to incorporate sustainable agriculture and climate-food innovation in its program. Seen as a top priority, global heads of state and leaders from the public and private sector came together to address food's high vulnerability to climate impacts and areas to reduce emmissions from the agriculture sector.
AIM for Climate announcements at COP28 more than doubled investments in sustainable agriculture to $17 billion and expanded the number of partners to more than 600. AIM for Climate now includes 78 Innovation Sprints in transformative climate-smart agriculture, aligned with one or more of AIM for Climate’s Innovation Sprint focal areas: Smallholder Farmers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries, Emerging Technologies, Agroecological Research and Methane Reduction.
The initiative now brings together a growing coalition of 55 countries and more than 600 global partners to significantly increase and accelerate agricultural innovation over five years. This will help enhance existing approaches and deliver new ways to sustainably increase agricultural productivity, improve livelihoods, and adapt and build resilience to climate change.
“The world has rallied together for the implementation of the ‘COP28 UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action’ with 134 nations endorsing it, in addition to support gained from non-state partners. The significant traction gained by AIM for Climate is another step in promoting climate-smart agriculture, driven by innovation and advanced technology, which is critical to strengthening productivity and building sectoral resilience.” – HE Mariam Almhieri, Former Minister of Climate Change and Environment
In May 2023, former UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Almheiri co-led the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate Summit with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Washington, DC. The event brought together public and private sector partners to tackle the climate challenge head-on and make agriculture more sustainable, equitable and resilient.
