Evaluation of FAO’s support to climate action (SDG 13) and the implementation of the FAO Strategy on Climate Change (2017)

The evaluation of FAO’s contribution to Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13), including an assessment of the implementation of FAO’s Strategy on Climate Change (2017), was carried out in 2020 and was both summative and formative.

The evaluation found that FAO has made relevant contributions to SDG 13, the Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework by enhancing national capacities for adaptation and resilience to climate change, through knowledge products, tools, guidance and by mobilizing climate finance. Besides, FAO was key to inclusion of agriculture in global negotiations on climate change and instrumental in linking agriculture to National Adaptation Plans and National Determined Contributions. Nevertheless, FAO has not yet sufficiently mainstreamed its work on climate action and climate-related disasters into its programming and operations.

The evaluation recommends FAO to develop a corporate narrative on climate change and food systems, reflecting it in the new FAO Strategic Framework (2022–2031), guiding the new Climate Change Strategy and cascade it into all offices, divisions and levels.