As the escalating impacts of climate change increasingly threaten vital sectors like agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, the need for effective adaptation strategies becomes ever more critical. These sectors face reduced yields, disrupted supply chains, and heightened vulnerability to extreme weather events, challenges that are projected to worsen with continued temperature rises. Current agricultural practices are becoming unsustainable, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations, including women, Indigenous Peoples, and small-scale food producers.
While institutional frameworks such as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are in place, their effective implementation is often hindered by obstacles like limited resources and technical capacity, particularly in developing countries.
Therefore, there is an urgent demand for practical, accessible, and efficient tools that can bridge the gap between ambitious policy intentions and concrete, on-the-ground actions. These tools must empower stakeholders to implement effective adaptation measures and address the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change.
Enter the Climate Action Review (CAR) Tool, a vital resource developed through the collaborative efforts of FAO and UNDP as part of the SCALA programme. This innovative tool effectively combines practical methodologies with long-term planning and implementation frameworks, aligning seamlessly with NDCs, NAPs, and other crucial climate commitments.
Click here to access the web CAR Tool interface
Click here to watch a short video about the CAR Tool
Unveiling the Purpose of the CAR Tool
Alt text: Agriculture experts assessing crop health and resilience in a field, demonstrating climate adaptation in action.
The primary purpose of the CAR Tool is to equip national adaptation planners and practitioners with actionable guidance. It facilitates the crucial transition from high-level NDC and NAP planning to the tangible implementation of locally relevant adaptation actions within the agriculture and land-use sectors. Ultimately, the CAR Tool aims to foster transformative systems-change potential within these critical sectors.
It provides a structured, step-by-step approach to pinpointing effective entry points for transformative change. This approach leverages adaptation actions already carefully outlined within existing NDCs and NAPs. Crucially, the tool is designed to be adaptable across diverse country contexts and strategic priorities, ensuring its relevance and applicability in various settings. By promoting participatory methods, the CAR Tool effectively facilitates evidence-based adaptation planning, ensuring that actions are grounded in solid data and stakeholder input.
Furthermore, the CAR Tool serves an essential “planning function.” It delivers valuable insights into the strategic interventions that will be necessary for future adaptation efforts, ensuring proactive and forward-thinking approaches. The tool’s design is also aligned with established international guidelines for NAP formulation and implementation, enhancing its credibility and ensuring adherence to global best practices.
Who Benefits from the CAR Tool?
Alt text: Participants in a climate action planning workshop in Costa Rica, representing stakeholders who benefit from car-tool resources.
The Climate Action Review (CAR) Tool is specifically designed to be a valuable asset for a range of stakeholders actively involved in climate action and sustainable development:
- NDC and NAP Planners and Focal Points within Government: These individuals are at the forefront of national climate policy and planning, and the CAR Tool provides them with practical instruments to translate policy into action.
- Senior Policy or Technical Units in Relevant Ministries, Departments, or Agencies: This includes those supporting projects related to climate change and/or the agriculture sector. The tool offers these units a structured approach to integrate climate resilience into their projects and programs.
- Multilateral or Bilateral Organizations, Civil Society Organizations, or Financial Institutions: Entities that support country-driven climate action and NDC/NAP implementation in the agriculture and land-use sectors will find the CAR Tool invaluable for ensuring the effectiveness and impact of their investments and initiatives.
Deciphering the Functionality: How the CAR Tool Operates
Alt text: Team collaboratively reviewing a process flow chart, illustrating the step-by-step functionality of the climate action car-tool.
At its core, the CAR Tool is centered around a comprehensive assessment of the potential impact of planned adaptation measures. It focuses specifically on their effectiveness in enhancing the resilience of agrifood systems in the face of increasing climate variability. This rigorous assessment employs a framework of six key elements and 20 carefully selected indicators of transformative climate action. By utilizing both quantitative and qualitative analyses, the tool facilitates a thorough comparison between current adaptation actions and planned interventions, providing a clear picture of progress and areas for improvement.
The CAR Tool follows a well-defined five-step process to guide users:
- Preparing for the Consultative Assessment: This initial step involves setting the stage for a successful assessment process, including defining scope and objectives.
- Short-listing Adaptation Priorities from NDCs and NAPs for Evaluation: This step focuses on selecting the most relevant and impactful adaptation priorities from existing national plans for in-depth evaluation.
- Mapping Stakeholders for Consultation: Identifying and engaging key stakeholders is crucial for a participatory and inclusive assessment process, ensuring diverse perspectives are considered.
- Assessing the Transformative Potential of Adaptation Priorities: This core step involves applying the tool’s framework to evaluate the transformative potential of the selected adaptation priorities, using the six elements and 20 indicators.
- Developing an Actionable Roadmap for Implementing Transformative Climate Actions: The final step focuses on translating assessment findings into a concrete roadmap, outlining specific actions, timelines, and responsibilities for implementing transformative climate actions in the agriculture and land-use sectors.
The CAR Tool Handbook: Your Comprehensive Guide
Alt text: Workshop participants in Uganda utilizing the CAR Tool handbook, a key resource for understanding climate action tools.
To ensure users can effectively leverage the full potential of the CAR Tool, a comprehensive handbook is readily available. This handbook serves as an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to understand and apply the tool effectively.
Click here to access the CAR Tool handbook
The handbook is designed to:
- Provide Comprehensive Insight: It offers a thorough understanding of the background and rationale underpinning the urgent need for agricultural and land-use system transformation within the context of accelerating climate change.
- Offer Step-by-Step Guidance: The handbook delivers clear, step-by-step instructions on how to effectively apply the CAR Tool. It also provides detailed guidance on interpreting the results generated by the tool, ensuring evidence-based adaptation planning through participatory methods.
- Present Guidance on Actionable Roadmaps: It guides users in formulating practical and actionable roadmaps. These roadmaps are designed for locally relevant NDC/NAP adaptation action programming and resource mobilization, ultimately accelerating transformative climate action within the agriculture and land-use sectors.
