WorldFish @ United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29)

Climate Financing : A Just and Profitable Investment

At COP29, countries will convene in Baku, Azerbaijan, November 11–22, 2024, to set the framework for their next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), due 2025, aimed at keeping global temperatures below 1.5°C. For many developing nations, where aquatic foods and fisheries as a sector, are essential to both nutrition and livelihoods of coastal communities, integrating these systems into climate strategies offers a path to both climate adaptation and sustainable economic growth in regions hardest hit by climate change.

Climate Financing Must be Just.

People who rely on aquatic food systems for nutrition and livelihoods are among the most vulnerable in the world. And the hardest hit by climate change. Ensuring these communities receive adequate support is essential to building resilience and securing a sustainable future for all – equitably and inclusively.

Despite their potential, aquatic food systems receive only a fraction of the climate finance they need.

As climate risks escalate, these systems require at least $4 billion annually by 2030 to build resilience and support long-term sustainability.

Or?

Aquatic Foods: A Just and Profitable Investment.

Without this investment, we risk losing not only a critical source of nutritious food and jobs, but also a powerful solution to climate change.

Add Aquatic Foods and Fisheries to Climate Agenda.

At COP29, WorldFish is calling for urgent action to:

Incorporate aquatic foods into national climate action plans, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), to unlock essential financing and resources that can put countries’ food systems on a low-emissions pathway while boosting food and nutrition security. With the release of new guidelines, now is the time to make aquatic foods central to climate strategies for a resilient future.

Scale up locally-led, climate-smart adaptation initiatives by empowering communities with proven tools, digital innovations, and nature-based solutions. These initiatives—such as Climate Information Services (CIS)aquaculture diversification and early warning system—enable small-scale fishers and farmers to protect their stocks, strengthen ecosystem resilience, and build long-term climate adaptation. Co-developed by WorldFish and tested across 27 countries, these approaches are transformative for food systems and economies worldwide, see WorldFish’s Digital Innovations Catalog.

Invest in and partner to foster South-South collaboration, vital to accelerate country-led climate action for transforming food systems. Mutual learning and transfer of knowledge and appropriate technologies can fuel rapid adaptation and scaling out of locally tested technologies and practices, see a new 7-year initiative of WorldFish.

At COP29, we’ll be in dialog with governments, donors, partners, and civil society organizations, sharing our insights and support to move this critical conversation forward. Through our participation in multiple events, we will be highlighting the essential role of aquatic food systems in addressing climate challenges and bringing together partners to drive meaningful action toward building sustainable, resilient, and nutri-sensitive food systems that support both people and the planet for shared prosperity.

COP29