Overview
The I-CAN Assessment 2025 aims to provide a snapshot into the current state of integration between climate and nutrition action across 16 indicators in policy and finance. Despite modest progress since 2023, the report makes clear that integration of climate and nutrition in key international and national policies and financing remains limited, slowing progress towards both reducing malnutrition and climate goals.
However, the report also helps to highlight priority areas for action, spotlighting examples of best practice we can learn from as we progress into the second half of this critical decade for the SDGs and climate action.
Bite the Talk Podcast: The Climate & Nutrition Story with Oliver Camp
In this episode of Bite the Talk, Oliver Camp of GAIN about the critical, interconnected challenges and opportunities between climate change and nutrition. He discusses how the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition (I-CAN) is working to find "win-win" solutions, urging for better integration of nutrition into climate policies and finance ahead of COP30
0°C
It is likely that warming will exceed 1.5°C during the 21st century
0M
As many as 828 million people are undernourished
US$0trillion
The impact of malnutrition in all its forms is estimated to be US$3.5 trillion each year
Climate policy commitments rarely consider nutrition
For the 2025 I-CAN assessment report, we have developed a methodology where 4 classification levels are used to determine the degree of integration between climate and nutrition.
These classification levels are used across a range of indicators (where applicable) and are designed to be action-oriented progressing toward the higher levels.
Level of climate-nutrition integration in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 2023 (n=166) and 2025 (n=167)
The September 2025 deadline for NDCs 3.0 was a pivotal opportunity for countries to increase the scope and ambition of their climate action plans – but the majority still show low levels of climate and nutrition integration – 79% of all updated documents score Level 2 or below.
Level of climate-nutrition integration in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in 2023 (n=43) and 2025 (n=63)
National Nutrition Plans (NNPs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) show both greater improvement since 2023 and higher levels of integration compared with mitigation focused strategies such as NDCs.
Level of climate-nutrition integration in National Nutrition Plans (NNPs) in 2023 (n=50) and 2025 (n=53)
Level of climate-nutrition integration in Climate Change Gender Action Plans. (n=16)
Stronger integration at the nexus of gender, nutrition and climate change: ccGAPs showed the greatest climate and nutrition integration across all policy indicators, with 69% scoring at the highest two levels (Level 3 or 4).
Integration of Climate into National Nutrition Plans (NNPs) (% of total, N=50)
Finance Commitment
Only a very minor share of financing provided by bilateral donors and major development banks supports dual climate and nutrition objectives. There remains little consistency in the reporting frameworks used to measure the impact of finance commitments, making it difficult to determine the true volume of finance going to climate- and nutrition-related activities.
Value of Environment-Related ODA (2022–2023 Annual Average)
Number and value of World Bank loans that are climate- and nutrition-supporting
Value of GCF finance in 2024 (total vs. nutrition-related)
Climate Focus Authors
Haseeb Bakhtary
Lead Consultant, Food Systems
Imogen Long
Consultant, Land Use and Food Systems
GAIN Authors
Jessica Colston
Lead, Environment and Nutrition
Oliver Camp
Environment and Food Systems Advocacy Advisor
Catherine Lok
Executive Director’s Office Analyst

