Climate finance for the waste sector is insufficient and the little there is, goes into the wrong pockets, invested in polluting technologies that are only profitable for the few. It needs to increase, shift, and be accessible to existing successful community-led projects that lead to the greatest economic, social, and environmental impacts.
As governments update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), it is critical to integrate the waste sector and prioritize waste methane solutions aligned with environmental justice principles, ensuring a just transition for impacted communities.
A community-centered climate finance and waste picker integration ensures no one is left behind. At COP29, we call on policy makers and policy stakeholders, various financiers, such as MDBs, IFIs, development aid organizations, and philanthropic funders to:
- Commit to substantial, transparent, and quality funding for urgent climate action in the Global South under the new NCQG
- Increase and shift climate finance in the waste sector from harmful to impactful, supporting upstream solutions, with justice and equity at its core
- Integrate the waste sector in NDCs 3.0, driving support for waste methane solutions and ensuring a just transition for impacted communities
- Recognize municipal solid waste management as an essential public service and fund it accordingly, scaling-up and replicating successful community-led zero waste initiatives
- Support a just transition in food systems to prevent food loss and waste.
GAIA@COP29 delegation are climate experts and zero waste implementors whose experiences weave an inspiring story of climate action through methane emissions reduction in the waste sector, centered on environmental justice. Get to know us!
Learn from GAIA experts from around the globe how zero waste systems, policies, and practices could cut total methane emissions from the waste sector by 84% while ensuring a just transition for impacted communities. See you at COP29!
JOIN THE CITIES METHANE PLEDGE
Cities around the globe can take action to significantly reduce waste methane emissions and keep global warming within 1.5°C by committing to recover 70% of organic waste by 2030. Zero waste strategies, like source-separation and organic waste recovery can reduce solid waste methane emissions by up to 95%, while promoting green jobs for the community, supporting local farmers, and empowering waste pickers and waste workers, and ensuring a just and sustainable transition for them. We invite city officials to join the movement to build resilient communities and make a lasting impact. Know more about the Cities Methane Pledge.
GAIA@COP29 LATEST PUBLICATIONS
GAIA@COP29: REGIONAL LENS
RESOURCES
Practical roadmaps and guidelines on implementing zero waste strategies:
- Back to earth: composting for various contexts (GAIA, 2022)
- Enabling sustainable cities through Zero Waste: A guide for decision- and policy-makers (GAIA Asia- Pacific, 2019)
- Funding Zero Waste in Your Municipality: 3 Steps to Success (GAIA, 2021
- My Zero Waste Event. 12 Actions to start a zero waste process (Zero Waste Europe, Zero Waste France, 2018)
- Reducing food waste at the local level: guidance for municipalities to reduce food waste within local food systems (ZWE and Slow Food, 2021)
- The Zero Waste Masterplan: A Guide to Building Just and Resilient Zero Waste Cities (GAIA US and Canada, 2020)
- The Zero Waste Masterplan:Turning the vision of the circular economy into a reality for Europe (Zero Waste Europe, 2020)
- Zero Waste City Manual. A Toolkit to Establish City and Community Zero Waste Systems (Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG), with GAIA and Break Free from Plastic, 2020
Relevant external reference documents and processes from close and aligned allies:
