Letter of Intent signed by Minister Gilberto Pichetto and FAO Director General Qu Dongyu 

Dubai, December 1^st - Support for climate action at global level, with investments in particular in the Middle East, Africa and Developing Island States. Implementation of the execution of the Climate Change Strategy and the FAO Strategy on “Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Agricultural Sectors”.

These are the main points of the Letter of Intent signed by the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, and by the Director General of FAO, Qu Dongyu, during COP 28 in Dubai.

A signature that falls within the framework of the collaboration that the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, (MASE), has started with the FAO since 2006.

“With today's signature, we renew our commitment to promoting sustainable growth in agricultural productivity, adaptation to climate change and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said Environment Minister Pichetto Fratin.

The current collaboration between MASE and FAO is divided into two main lines of activity:

• the Bioenergy Partnership – Global Bioenergy Partnership, (GBEP);

• the promotion of Climate Smart Agriculture through the MASE project - FAO “International Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture”, (IACSA).

MASE and FAO, in recent years, have worked jointly on various areas, including the promotion of the Climate Smart Agriculture, (CSA), approach and active participation in the International Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, (IACSA), project.

The CSA approach, developed by FAO since 2010, aims to create the technical, political and economic conditions for sustainable agricultural development, capable of addressing the challenges of climate change and ensuring food security.

“Furthermore – added Pichetto Fratin – we are proud to support the Global Bioenergy Partnership, (GBEP), an initiative born in 2005 on an Italian proposal, of which this year we have the co-presidency together with Argentina”.

GBEP aims to promote the efficient and sustainable use of biomass and biofuels, especially in developing countries.

“Through this partnership – added Pichetto Fratin – we have contributed to the development of sustainability indicators for the production and use of bioenergy, with the aim of supporting policies that increase the sustainability of these resources. In this regard - explained the Minister - we are pleased that FAO will host the next Bioenergy Week in Rome in the first half of 2024 .