“The waste sector isn’t just about rubbish — it’s about rapid climate action, cleaner air, and social justice” emphasizes Mariel Vilella, Global Climate Program Director at GAIA
When delegates from around the world gathered in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, one thing became clear: the waste sector is no longer a background player in climate policy—it’s central to solving the crisis.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for nearly a third of today’s warming, is sometimes called the climate “emergency brake.” Cut it now, and we slow warming fast. At COP30, the Global Methane Status Report 2025 confirmed that solutions exist: food waste reduction, source separation, composting, biogas and ultimately diverting organic waste from landfills and dumpsites. These approaches could deliver the largest methane decline ever recorded, and much of it is cheap, scalable, and job-creating.
The report was launched at the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial (Global Methane Pledge), showing a clear pathway to emission reductions across energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Analysis from Climate Action Tracker and Climate Analytics shows that fully implementing pledges to triple renewable energy, double energy efficiency, and cut methane sharply by 2030 could avert nearly 1°C of warming, lowering projected heating from 2.6°C to 1.7°C.
Four key outcomes from COP30 are now shaping the waste and climate agenda; milestones that signal a turning point for methane action, zero-waste solutions, and environmental justice. These developments not only elevate the role of the waste sector in global climate strategy, but also open new pathways for countries, cities, and communities to accelerate real, measurable progress. Here’s what emerged from Belém:
- Mitigation Work Programme: Waste Steps Into the Climate Spotlight
A key outcome of COP30 was the elevation of waste and circular economy solutions within the Mitigation Work Programme. Building on this year’s global dialogue in Addis Ababa—where GAIA’s Neil Tangri presented organic waste best practices—Parties recognized that waste prevention, reduction, and upstream solutions in the waste hierarchy are essential to near-term climate ambition.Building on that, COP30 highlighted the need to cut waste-sector emissions while addressing the social dimensions of waste, including formalizing and protecting informal economy workers. Countries also emphasized the strong co-benefits of zero-waste approaches—from job creation to healthier communities.With a renewed focus on multilevel governance and broad collaboration across reuse, recycling, material separation, and organic waste systems, COP30 marked a clear shift: the waste sector is now firmly on the global climate agenda. - Just Transition: Climate Action that Includes People
COP30 marked a milestone with the establishment of the Just Transition Mechanism, a first step towards ensuring that climate action supports workers, communities, and vulnerable populations.Combined with new funding streams, COP30 signaled that climate solutions can be fast, fair, and effective, if we include the people who make them work. - The No Organic Initiative
COP30 also saw the launch of the No Organic Waste Initiative, a bold effort to cut methane from organic waste by two-thirds, avoid 0.1°C warming by 2050, create jobs, reduce costs, and improve resource efficiency.For the first time, waste-pickers were fully included, sending a powerful message: climate solutions must be just and inclusive.With $30 million in funding from the Global Methane Hub, this initiative demonstrates that tackling waste isn’t just about managing trash—it’s about building a cleaner, fairer world. - Black Carbon: Cleaner Air and Climate Wins
The High-Level Launch of Sectoral Action on Black Carbon, co-hosted by the Clean Air Fund and SLYCAN Trust in consultation with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), highlighted black carbon emissions and their health and climate impacts.Countries including Chile, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Canada, Uganda, Cambodia, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, and Colombia outlined national steps to reduce black carbon from transport, household and commercial energy, and waste and agricultural burning.“Reducing methane and black carbon together improves air quality, health, and climate simultaneously”, said Henrique Bezerra Regional Lead for Latin America at the Global Methane Hub. - National Methane Programs
To scale these solutions further, the CCAC launched seven new national methane programs, with ~$25 million committed to multi-year technical teams supporting super-emitter detection, project design, and capacity-building, aiming to reach 30 countries by 2030.
GAIA at COP30: Two Weeks of Climate Action
When the GAIA delegation touched down in Belém, we arrived with a clear mission: make waste, zero-waste solutions, and just-transition principles impossible to ignore. Over two weeks, our team turWhen the GAIA delegation touched down in Belém, we arrived with a clear mission: make waste, zero-waste solutions, and just-transition principles impossible to ignore. Over two weeks, our team turned knowledge into action, community-led ideas into policy conversations, and technical expertise into influence.
Explore the full GAIA COP30 delegation and see our GAIA COP30 calendar of events.
A Global Team, A Shared Vision
GAIA brought together 44 people from 30 organizations across 18+ countries—from Ghana and Indonesia to Chile and Brazil. Not everyone could be on-site, but our presence was felt both in the conference halls and online. Our delegation embodied a shared vision: solving the climate crisis starts with inclusive, community-driven solutions.
Week 1: Making Every Voice Heard
GAIA members spoke at 34 events across 11 pavilions, including the Super Pollutants Pavilion, Children & Youth Pavilion, Amazon Climate Hub, and UNESCO Pavilion. We shared platforms with country pavilions like Brazil, Ethiopia, and Chile–ICCI–Iceland, and participated in UN events, press conferences, and online Climate Newsbreaks.
In numbers:
- 28 GAIA staff and members speaking (including remote contributions)
- 70 speaking appearances
- Engagement with 12 funders and 15 policymakers
- Media coverage: 4 interviews, 5 mentions (a full coverage report still to come)
It was a week defined by visibility and influence. Everywhere we went, GAIA made sure the message was unmistakable: cutting methane, expanding organic waste solutions, and advancing zero-waste strategies are essential to real climate progress. Our voices carried across pavilions, panels, and press rooms, ensuring that these priorities were not just mentioned, but centered in the conversations that matter most.
Week 2: Deepening Connections
Week two shifted focus to building relationships and cementing impact, with 21 events across 11 pavilions, including the Museu das Amazonias, Food Roots and Routes Pavilion, USA Climate Pavilion, Super Pollutant Solutions Pavilion, and CDR30 Roundtable. Country pavilions included Bangladesh and Indonesia.
Highlights:
- 20 GAIA members speaking, 32 appearances
- Direct engagement with 5 funders and 2 policymakers
- Media visibility: 2 interviews, 1 press release (a full coverage report still to come)
- Online reach maintained through 5 Climate Newsbreaks.
Week two was all about building bridges — linking grassroots communities with global policymakers, connecting local zero-waste solutions to international funding opportunities, and turning hard-won knowledge into meaningful action. In every conversation and every room, GAIA worked to close the gaps that too often hold climate solutions back, creating pathways where collaboration and impact can truly thrive.
GAIA’s Impact: Turning Ideas into Action
Across two weeks, GAIA demonstrated the power of connecting grassroots innovation with global policy:
- Amplifying methane reduction and organic waste solutions
- Highlighting inclusive, community-led zero-waste strategies
- Engaging funders and policymakers directly
- Strengthening solidarity across 30 countries
From high-level panels to targeted pavilion engagements, GAIA ensured zero-waste solutions and just-transition principles were central to COP30.
“Our two weeks in Belém were more than a conference—they were proof that community-driven climate action is not just possible, but essential”, said Froilan Grate, GAIA Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator, Philippines.
Moving Forward: Opportunities for Zero Waste at COP31
Türkiye will host COP31 in 2026, while Australia takes on the lead negotiating Presidency. For Türkiye, COP31 is a chance to showcase its Zero Waste initiative as a cornerstone of domestic climate action and global leadership.
Launched in 2017, Türkiye’s Zero Waste Project has achieved:
- Waste Reduction: Millions of tons of paper and plastic diverted from landfills
- Emission Savings: ~500,000 tons of CO₂e saved annually
- Resource Conservation: Preserving raw materials, energy, and water
- Plastic Bag Reduction: 75% drop in usage between 2019–2021
The transition from COP30 to COP31 is a unique opportunity for the zero waste movement. GAIA’s experience in Belém shows how community-driven solutions, technical knowledge, and policy advocacy intersect to create real impact.
Türkiye’s Zero Waste initiative is a tangible example of national action that can be amplified globally, though tackling systemic hurdles like imported plastic waste and landfill reliance will be essential.
We look forward to supporting Türkiye, the Zero Waste Foundation, and the global community as they leverage COP31 to strengthen zero waste and methane mitigation. The next chapter is about turning ambition into action, bridging national initiatives with global climate leadership, and ensuring zero waste becomes a central pillar of the climate agenda.
