In February 2021, the Secretariat of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change published the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the 75 Parties to the Paris Agreement submitted by 31 December 2020 (NDC Synthesis Report). To reach the 1.5°C goal, emissions in 2030 must be reduced by 45% compared to 2010 but the report indicates that only 1% reduction can be expected at this stage. 

In January 2021, with the inauguration of the the U.S. President Biden, one of the first actions of the new administration was the return to the Paris Agreement. On February 26, the Biden administration's Interagency Working Group announced that it would make decisions based on scientific evidence, and tentatively returned the social cost per ton of greenhouse gases to the levels of the Obama administration at $51 for carbon dioxide, $1,500 for methane and $18,000 for nitrous oxide.

The burden on the environment caused by humans has gradually increased for almost half a century, and is now causing a planetary emergency. In February 2021, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) published a synthesis report titled "Making Peace with Nature" with practical recommendations on how to tackle the climate, biodiversity and pollution emergencies,  and build a sustainable future.

In February 2021, the British think tank Chatham House published the report “Food System Impacts on Biodiversity Loss". The global food system has been shaped by the ‘cheaper food’ paradigm over the past 50 years. Without a change in the food system, biodiversity loss will accelerate and it will even be impossible to sustain human survival. The United Nations Food System Summit is scheduled to be held in 2021 and will provide a unique opportunity for food system transformation.

It has been confirmed that 2020 was as hot as 2016, but from the end of 2020 to 2021, the Northern Hemisphere has been hit by several cold waves. According to reports in the US, this is due to polar vortex disruptions. Sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) occurred in January allowing cold air from the Arctic to flow easily into the United States, Europe, and Asia. 

The world is looking for concrete measures for decarbonization and achieving carbon neutrality to address climate change. Forest supports life on earth by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen and forest management plays a very important role in climate change mitigation measures. Mapping tools and data monitoring are indispensable for understanding the spatial impact of the activities of various stakeholders. In January 2021, Nature Climate Change published a paper on geospatial monitoring of forest carbon fluctuations in the 21st century.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the food price index rose 4.3% from the previous month in January 2021, the highest level since July 2014. This is due to the rapid expansion of world trade volume and the sharp drop in world food stocks. 

Do you know that greenhouse gases (methane), which cause global warming, are emitted when rice is grown? At JIRCAS, we have been conducting research to reduce methane by using the water management method for rice fields, and that this method also increases the yield of rice. This time, we would like to introduce a field survey conducted in Vietnam on the profits of farmers and the impact on the environment of this cultivation technology. 

The Centre for Food Policy at City, University of London published a brief on "42 policies and actions to direct the food system towards healthier diets for all" in December last year. Agricultural recommendations include strengthening extension programs, infrastructure and education to support farmers to grow and market nutritious foods, redesigning of agricultural development programs to promote income growth from nutritious crop cultivation, and breeding research to improve the nutritional value of crops.