New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments • Law Newsroom • Lewis & Clark
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Archived: 2026-04-23 17:11
New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments • Law Newsroom • Lewis & Clark
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New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments
New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments
Professor Erica Lyman, Lewis & Clark Law School’s Global Law Alliance, and international partners have launched the Food Systems NDC Scorecard, a new tool evaluating how national climate plans address the role of food systems in climate mitigation and adaptation.
February 23, 2026
NDC Scorecard
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Written by McKenna Hackney
Professor Erica Lyman
and the
Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment
(GLA) at Lewis & Clark Law School have partnered with a number of international organizations to launch the first-of-its-kind scorecard for food systems’ impact on climate. The
Food Systems Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Scorecard
assesses the integration of food systems in NDCs and provides a measure of how well countries are meeting the needs of the moment, identifying areas needing further attention and showcasing leading examples to inspire improved action in the future.
The Food Systems NDC website explains that “food systems’ encompass the entire spectrum of actors, processes, and infrastructures that are involved in producing, processing, distributing, consuming, and disposing of food. They’re responsible for approximately one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions but are often missing in the grand scheme of climate action plans. Even if fossil fuel emissions stopped today, food emissions alone would raise global temperatures above 1.5°C and make even the 2°C goal difficult to achieve. Aligning food systems with a pathway to meeting these targets will require action at all stages of the food system.”
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-legally binding climate action plans submitted by each country that is a Party to the Paris Agreement. These plans outline goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, with updates required every five years.
The scorecard highlights both progress made and areas for improvement with an aim to drive accountability and stronger climate action worldwide. Professor Lyman explained, “NDCs drive both the implementation of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal and national climate priorities and actions; for this reason, they must holistically integrate climate-friendly food systems policies.”
For this ambitious project, GLA partnered with Mercy For Animals, an international nonprofit animal protection organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species, EAT, a global nonprofit focused on transforming the global food system to be healthier and more sustainable, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, a nonprofit alliance driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition.
Law Communications is located in room 304 of
Legal Research Center
on the law Campus.
email
jasbury@lclark.edu
voice
503-768-6605
Cell:
626-676-7923
Assistant Dean,
Communications and External Relations, Law School
Judy Asbury
Law Communications
Lewis & Clark Law School
10101 S. Terwilliger Boulevard
MSC
Portland
OR
97219
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New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments
New Scorecard Highlights Food Systems’ Role in Climate Commitments
Professor Erica Lyman, Lewis & Clark Law School’s Global Law Alliance, and international partners have launched the Food Systems NDC Scorecard, a new tool evaluating how national climate plans address the role of food systems in climate mitigation and adaptation.
February 23, 2026
NDC Scorecard
SHARE
Copy Link
Written by McKenna Hackney
Professor Erica Lyman
and the
Global Law Alliance for Animals and the Environment
(GLA) at Lewis & Clark Law School have partnered with a number of international organizations to launch the first-of-its-kind scorecard for food systems’ impact on climate. The
Food Systems Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Scorecard
assesses the integration of food systems in NDCs and provides a measure of how well countries are meeting the needs of the moment, identifying areas needing further attention and showcasing leading examples to inspire improved action in the future.
The Food Systems NDC website explains that “food systems’ encompass the entire spectrum of actors, processes, and infrastructures that are involved in producing, processing, distributing, consuming, and disposing of food. They’re responsible for approximately one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions but are often missing in the grand scheme of climate action plans. Even if fossil fuel emissions stopped today, food emissions alone would raise global temperatures above 1.5°C and make even the 2°C goal difficult to achieve. Aligning food systems with a pathway to meeting these targets will require action at all stages of the food system.”
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-legally binding climate action plans submitted by each country that is a Party to the Paris Agreement. These plans outline goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, with updates required every five years.
The scorecard highlights both progress made and areas for improvement with an aim to drive accountability and stronger climate action worldwide. Professor Lyman explained, “NDCs drive both the implementation of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal and national climate priorities and actions; for this reason, they must holistically integrate climate-friendly food systems policies.”
For this ambitious project, GLA partnered with Mercy For Animals, an international nonprofit animal protection organization, the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit membership organization known for its work protecting endangered species, EAT, a global nonprofit focused on transforming the global food system to be healthier and more sustainable, and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, a nonprofit alliance driven by a vision of a world without malnutrition.
Law Communications is located in room 304 of
Legal Research Center
on the law Campus.
jasbury@lclark.edu
voice
503-768-6605
Cell:
626-676-7923
Assistant Dean,
Communications and External Relations, Law School
Judy Asbury
Law Communications
Lewis & Clark Law School
10101 S. Terwilliger Boulevard
MSC
Portland
OR
97219
More Stories
Four New Faculty Members to Join Lewis & Clark Law School This Fall
Lewis & Clark Law School will welcome four new assistant professors this summer, bringing expertise in civil rights, public defense, criminal law, environmental litigation and more.
Summer 2026 Courses Open at Lewis & Clark Law School
Registration is now open for Lewis & Clark Law School’s 2026 summer sessions, featuring specialized programs and a new Self-Service system for registration.
Law School Clinic Helps Clients Patent New Ideas
Law students working in L&C’s Small Business Legal Clinic, with faculty guidance, support local businesses and entrepreneurs through the intensive U.S. patent process.
Professor Jim Oleske Earns Second Huffman Award for Scholarship on Free Exercise Clause
Lewis & Clark Law School has honored Professor Jim Oleske with the 2025 Huffman Scholarship Award for his recent work analyzing a variety of arguments that could shape the future of the Supreme Court’s jurisprudence on religious-exemption rights.
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Academics
Financial Aid
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