The Diets Toolkit: An NDCs and NBSAPs Guide for Healthy and Sustainable Diets

Overview

Developed by Climate Focus on behalf of ProVeg International and the WWF, the Diets Toolkit: An NDCs and NBSAPs Guide for Healthy and Sustainable Diets equips policymakers and other stakeholders with practical guidance for integrating dietary transformation into national climate and biodiversity strategies. Our guide provides a step-by-step roadmap with a diverse menu of adaptable policy measures across three action areas. Recognising that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, the toolkit enables countries to tailor interventions to their local priorities and contexts.

Why healthy and sustainable diets matter

Our current food systems drive greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and diet-related diseases.
Healthy and sustainable diets can improve public health, enhance social equity, and reduce environmental pressures.
Dietary change supports broader climate, biodiversity, and development goals, with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifying a shift toward more plant-based diets as a necessary pathway to meet global climate goals.

Policy Relevance

Aligns with the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, building on the latest evidence from the world’s leading scientific bodies, including the IPCC, IPBES, and the EAT–Lancet Commission.
Highlights various entry points for integrating dietary measures into NDCs and NBSAPs, with step-by-step guidance.
Addresses critical gaps – only a small number of countries currently include sustainable diet measures in their national commitments.

How the Guide Supports Policymakers

Offers actionable policy options and examples that can be adapted to national contexts and priorities.
Supports the alignment of food-system transformation with environmental, social, and economic priorities.
Provides a pathway to accelerate the transition to resilient, equitable, and nature-positive food systems.

The toolkit is a vital resource for governments and other stakeholders who are seeking to strengthen national strategies, address pressing food-system challenges, and implement policies that advance climate and biodiversity objectives, while ensuring healthy diets for all.

5 steps to integrate policy measures for healthy and sustainable diets in NDCs and NBSAPs

Step	Description	For NDCs	For NBSAPs
1. Assess the link between food consumption and environmental change within the national context	Assess and categorise national-level food system Assess interactions between food consumption, including imported food and environmental change	Focus on interaction between climate change and food consumption in the national context	Focus on interaction between nature loss and food consumption in the national context
2. Identify priority policy options to promote sustainable and healthy diets within the national context	Consult relevant public and private sector stakeholders using a multi-stakeholder approach Assess benefits and trade-offs of different policy options	Map potential impacts of policy options on national-level climate-change mitigation and adaptation strategies	Define contributions of different policy options to achievement of GBF Targets in the national context
3. Integrate priority policy options within national climate and biodiversity plans	Clearly define national-level goals and measures for operationalisation Outline benefits and trade-offs of priority policy options	Follow guidance on information to include to facilitate clarity, transparency, and understanding of the NDC	Set clear national targets for sustainable and healthy diets using GBF guidance
4. Implement priority policy options as part of ambitious climate and biodiversity plans	Follow whole-of-society approach and ensure meaningful stakeholder engagement Adopt national roadmaps with regulatory actions, investable projects, and finance mobilisation strategy Set up robust Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification systems	Define monitoring indicators that satisfy Enhanced Transparency Framework requirements ¹ ²	Identify indicators from GBF monitoring framework in order to measure contributions to national targets ³
5. Report progress on implementation	Systematically measure and collect data on policy implementation and effects	Report progress in Biennial Transparency Report following ETF guidelines ⁴ ⁵	Report progress in national reports using guidance and templates from CBD and GBF monitoring framework ⁶

Take Action

Explore the full NDCs and NBSAPs Guide for Healthy and Sustainable Diets in order to identify practical policy measures for advancing healthy, sustainable, and equitable food systems. Equip your government with the tools to integrate dietary transformation into national climate and biodiversity strategies and accelerate progress toward global sustainability goals.

Download the report today

References

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. (2018). Decision 18/CMA.1. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/documents/193408.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. (2022). Decision 5/CMA.3. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/documents/460951.
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). (2025). Decision 16/31. Monitoring framework for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Retrieved from https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-16/cop-16-dec-31-en.pdf.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. (2018).
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement. (2022).
Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). (2025).