Media Release

Principles and Hallmarks for Transitioning Agri-Food Systems:
Opportunities, Pathways and Actions
Climate Bonds launches new paper on finance for sustainable agriculture atChina 2022 Sustainable Investment Forum (SIF) Week
BEIJING/LONDON, 07/12/2022, 12:00 GMT: Today, Climate Bonds Initiative, through the Transitions
Programme, launches the Agri-Food Principles and Hallmarks at the SIF in partnership with SynTao
Green Finance. Climate Bonds is building consensus with key stakeholders on 1.5°C and climate
resilient, agri-food transition pathways rooted in science and consistent with other food systemtransition outcomes.
Sean Kidney, CEO of Climate Bonds shared his views during SIF, “Globally, emissions from land use,
agriculture and deforestation are by far the biggest component of greenhouse gas emissions that wehave to address. This needs to be our number one priority.”“We to have reduce emissions and also prepare for resilience against climactic impacts where patterns
are fast changing.”“That's why the SIF workshop is so important. That's why the work we are taking forward for the future
will be is so critical to face the challenges of climate change and to create a world economy, that wewould want our children to live, prosper and survive in!”
Agri-Food Principles
The Agri-food principles and hallmarks are the outcome of an in-depth critical appraisal of existing
agri-food transition finance tools and introduce the sector-neutral Credible Transition Principles (2020)and Hallmarks for Transforming Companies (2022) developed by Climate Bonds. These Principles andHallmarks were interpreted from an agri-food perspective, providing real-world examples of theirapplication and a careful examination of existing frameworks and pathways for agri-food transition toexplore how they address decarbonisation and other food system goals.
The Agri-Food Principles and Hallmark paper is available now in English, Chinese, Portuguese, andSpanish.
Climate Bond's Agri-Food Systems Transitions programme aims to accelerate the flow of finance tosupport the transition of agri-food systems toward net-zero, resilient, and sustainable systems. The
overarching goal is to mobilise global capital to finance the transition and ensure deforestation andconversion-free agri-food production.
Agri-food systems are responsible for 31% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions driving nearly
90% of global deforestation annually. Agriculture uses, on average, 70% of freshwater withdrawals,creating enormous challenges in water-scarce countries. Only 55% of the world's agricultural
production (calories) goes towards feeding people directly; the rest are fed to livestock (36%) or
turned into biofuels and industrial products (9%). Of the food produced, as much as 31% is lost or
wasted along the supply chain: around 14% is lost from production before reaching the retail level,
and a further 17% is wasted in households, catering, and retail.
Sustainable Investment Forum (SIF)
SIF event is a global network that promotes responsible capital flow. Syntao Green Finance initiated
SIF in China in 2012. On this 10th anniversary of the China SIF, Climate Bonds Initiative and SynTao

Green Finance are co-hosting a seminar tagged "Finance for Sustainable Agriculture: Opportunities,Pathways and Actions" on the 7th December 2022.
The seminar focuses on the role of green and transformative finance and discussing prospects ofopportunities, transition pathways and practical experiences of financial institutions entities ininvesting and financing green development and transition in agriculture.
Speakers at the webinar include Sean Kidney, CEO and Co-founder of Climate Bonds Initiative; GUO
Peiyuan, Chairman of China Sustainable Investment Forum; CHEN Ying, Director of Cereals and Oils
Department, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce andLivestock, XIE Wenhong, Head of China, Climate Bonds Initiative and FU Xiaotian, Director, Food andNatural Resources Program, WRI China amongst many others
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Contact:
Leena Fatin,Senior Strategic Communications ManagerTransition Finance
Climate Bonds Initiative+44 759 3320 198
Leena.fatin@climatebonds.net

Gabriel Carhart,Communications Officer
Transition Finance
Climate Bonds Initiative (London)+44 7546 645 591
Gabriel.Carhart@climatebonds.net

Notes for Editors:
About Climate Bonds Initiative: The Climate Bonds Initiative is a non-profit organisation focused on
promoting large-scale investment in the low-carbon economy.
Visit our website: www.climatebonds.net.
About Climate Bonds Transition Programme: Climate Bonds is working to mobilise the wide-scaletransition of the economy in line with net-zero targets. To do this, all sectors of the economy will
adjust to operate effectively in a low carbon economy. For many sectors – especially the high carbon
emitting sectors– that may need to fundamentally reshape and transform their strategy in light of thechallenges of a changing climate. These sectors (sometimes referred to as ‘hard-to-abate’) need green
definitions to facilitate financial flows and supportive regulatory environments to encourage credible
and rapid transition. Not only is there considerable movement to shift emissions downwards, butthere is far more understanding today on what a 1.5°C-aligned transition looks like for hard-to-abate
sectors. By establishing standards for high emitting sectors, Climate Bonds is providing clarity toinvestors looking to support credible transitions, as well as demonstrating best practices for producers
aiming to decarbonise their industries. Coupled with ambitious and achievable policy
recommendations, these resources can help mobilise financial markets and drive industry leaders tomake the emission reductions essential to preserving a 1.5°C future.
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