The just transition: Equity, nutrition, and food security in a changing climate

Food systems generate around one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet they remain far from a trajectory compatible with net zero, lagging behind sectors such as energy in the pace of decarbonization. According to FAO, 2.7 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, and undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and diet-related chronic disease continue to affect populations across the globe. At the same time, climate change is increasingly affecting the livelihoods and health of the agricultural workforce. A historic agreement was reached at COP30 in 2025 to establish a formal Just Transition Mechanism. Its core objective is to ensure that the global shift toward low-emission, climate-resilient economies happens fairly, equitably, and inclusively, so that climate policies do not unintentionally harm vulnerable populations, workers, or low-income countries. How can we transform food systems equitably, urgently reducing emissions while protecting the roughly 1.3 billion people who make up the agricultural workforce and ensuring healthy, accessible diets for all? Organized by CMCC as part of Climate Week NYC 2026, the event “The just transition: Equity, nutrition, and food security in a changing climate” shifts the conversation from how much food we produce to what we grow, what we eat, and how dietary patterns are evolving, while placing a just transition at the center of the discussion. The session brings together speakers whose expertise spans economics, nutrition science, and governance, and whose work ranges from international climate negotiations to national policymaking, fostering dialogue across disciplines and decision-making levels. Panelists will discuss how a shift toward nutrition-focused approaches, rather than calories alone, reshapes agricultural land use, livestock systems, and the emissions embedded in what reaches the plate, including the role of animal welfare in this transformation. We will explore the perspectives of climate-vulnerable and food-importing countries, and discuss where the win-wins between emissions reduction and nutrition lie, where trade-offs surface, which evidence-based solutions are delivering results, and how to ensure a fair and inclusive transition. Drawing on experience of supporting UNFCCC negotiations, we will consider how the new Just Transition Mechanism can be shaped to reflect their needs and support fair, effective adaptation. The event will contribute to the food, health, and just-transition agenda on the road to COP31 by focusing on how emissions reduction, food security, and health can be advanced together. This online event is organized by CMCC. The CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) is an international, independent research center that provides state-of-the-art climate science for adaptation and mitigation strategies. Through a multidisciplinary approach that integrates climate modelling, Earth system science, economics, social sciences and impact analysis, CMCC delivers the knowledge, data and analyses that policymakers, businesses and communities need to make science-based decisions on climate change – from the global to the local scale. www.cmcc.it – Climate Insight for Global Impact