The country’s long tradition and high prevalence of plant-based food consumption presents a strategic opportunity to lower greenhouse gas emissions, writes Dehradun-based climate campaigner and ProVeg International Youth Board member, Niharika Kapoor.
The annual UN climate summit, COP30, takes place in the Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil in November this year.
But before this happens, delegates will gather in the German city of Bonn for two weeks from 16 June to 26 June for the lesser known, but highly significant, Bonn Climate Change Conference.
I will be in attendance at this crucial mid-year checkpoint – a space where UN member states come together to negotiate the technical details that will ultimately shape global climate action and lay the foundation for the critical decisions to be taken at COP30 in Belém.
Playing to India’s strength
My engagement in Bonn will involve direct interaction with the Indian delegation as India has a very significant role to play here. I will be closely tracking negotiations related to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are the measures each country takes to reduce their emissions.
Given India’s rich heritage and high prevalence of plant-based food consumption—which significantly lowers greenhouse gas emissions—there is a strategic opportunity here.
As India prepares its NDC, incorporating a comprehensive food systems approach can leverage the benefits of plant-based food consumption to advance national climate goals, enhance public health, and ensure long-term food security.
My discussions will highlight the advantages of plant-rich diets and explore how India can lead in integrating sustainable food systems into its climate policy.
Tracking sustainable diets
My work in Bonn will also centre on securing robust indicators for tracking sustainable dietary patterns. These include metrics such as the per capita availability of diverse plant-based foods, mitigation of excessive animal-derived product consumption, quantifiable reductions in food loss and waste, and the integration of climate-informed dietary guidelines.
Achieving resilient food systems requires a fundamental transition towards more sustainable and equitable dietary paradigms, underpinned by indicators that comprehensively capture consumption patterns, production methods, and the intricate nexus between nutrition and climate resilience.
Transition towards plant-rich dietary systems
Negotiators at Bonn will also engage in the inaugural workshop on climate action in agriculture and food security. For my part, I will underscore the imperative of facilitating an equitable transition towards sustainable, plant-rich dietary systems through strategic public awareness initiatives, fiscal incentives, and reformed procurement policies.
Furthermore, empowering urban centres to significantly curtail food-related emissions and fostering comprehensive inter-ministerial coordination – across agriculture, health, finance, and environment ministries – for coherent policy design are paramount.
Ultimately, my participation at the Bonn conference is a vital step on the road to COP30 and beyond. It is crucial to ensure that the intricate technical discussions here in Bonn translate into tangible, ambitious outcomes for our planet and bolster global climate processes, particularly as we collectively strive for a resilient and sustainable future—with food systems at its core.
Niharika Kapoor is a Policy Specialist for Mercy for Animals and a member of the ProVeg International Youth Board.
