The Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Ms Su McCluskey, attended the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024.
Ms McCluskey was part of the Australian delegation led by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), which included representatives from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) among others.
Agriculture featured prominently at COP29, with a dedicated thematic day, and representation by Australian government, industry, research institutions and farmers who collectively worked to amplify key messages on sustainability.
“It was so great to be back at COP to ensure that agriculture’s voice is heard and represented in the discussion on climate change,” said Ms McCluskey.
“Being on the ground to connect with like-minded partners and important trading allies is essential for demonstrating our sustainability credentials and securing support for a principles-based approach to climate-smart sustainable agriculture.”
Ms McCluskey spent her time at COP29 speaking on several panels and meeting key stakeholders including the United States, Brazil, Uruguay, New Zealand and Vietnam. Within the Australian Pavilion, Ms McCluskey facilitated a successful panel event among representatives from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Japan discussing the importance of managing and preserving soil health for greater resilience to climate change and increased agricultural productivity. DAFF also hosted a Pacific focused discussion on building farmers’ resilience to extreme weather events that included representatives from Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Australia, and SPREP (Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme), with an opening address from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
To end a successful week, Ms McCluskey was part of a DAFF-hosted networking event in the Pacific region’s Moana Pavilion to celebrate World Fisheries Day. The event featured remarks from Niue Minister for Natural Resources, the Hon Mona Ainu’u, and Ms Lala Gutchen, a Torres Strait fisherwoman, speaking to the existential threat of climate change on oceans, blue foods and livelihoods.
Participating across panels with Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Canada and Singapore, Ms McCluskey focused on integrating agriculture, food systems, climate and nature-based solutions to enhance natural capital and encouraged sustainable land management.
The road ahead: Promoting Australia’s standing in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector
Ms McCluskey’s participation at COP29 enhanced support for Australia’s agriculture sector. There was genuine enthusiasm among stakeholders to consider natural capital accounting, and to create an environment to enable government and industry to focus on outcomes-based sustainable environmental practices to mitigate the risk of prescriptive policies becoming trade and market access barriers.
There are many opportunities for Australia to ensure agriculture continues being part of discussions in international fora and that farmers’ perspectives are brought to the table. It will also be important to continue to strengthen partnerships with the Pacific noting the vulnerability of the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector to a changing climate.
“It is so pleasing to see a growing global understanding that sustainability is more than emissions reduction and includes landscape preservation, biodiversity protection and soil health,” Ms McCluskey said.
“Australia is advanced in its work on the Australian Agricultural Sustainability Framework, National Agricultural Traceability Strategy and natural capital accounting.”
“I believe that Australia can play a leading role globally in demonstrating the value proposition to farmers and rallying countries around an overarching sustainability framework that contributes to climate goals and facilitates trade.”
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