I have been writing articles and blogs for nearly 10 years to challenge the common misperception that waste and resource management contributes minimally to mitigation of climate heating. At long last, my peer-reviewed paper with ISWA co-authors collating the evidence has now been published open-access. We show that one can have HIGH CONFIDENCE that the sector’s potential is SIGNIFICANT. The paper provides a Call to Action to enable this global opportunity to be realised.
An earlier version of the paper featured at the first ever Waste and Resources pavilion, hosted by ISWA at COP28 in Egypt. This year in Baku, waste and resource management featured for the first time on the main COP29 agenda, with a Declaration On Reducing Methane from Organic Waste endorsed so far by 52 countries. The declaration has 8 objectives, which go beyond a narrow, waste sector focus on mitigating methane from landfill, to include also food waste reduction and separation of organic wastes at source for valorisation and recycling back to the soil.
The declaration highlights five enabling areas for waste sector transformation, calling for all countries to include reducing methane from organic waste in their climate mitigation plans at both national level (Nationally Determined Contributions – NDCs) and in regional and local implementation plans; stepping up finance; data for action and transparency; and innovative partnerships.
It is pleasing that this is already reflected in the Call to Action in our paper. The paper would never have been completed without the help and support of my co-authors, so heartfelt thanks to Johannes Paul, and to ISWA Technical Director Aditi Ramola and President Carlos RV Silva Filho.
Full reference: Wilson, D.C., Paul, J., Ramola, A., & Silva Filho, C. (2024). Unlocking the significant worldwide potential of better waste and resource management for climate mitigation: with particular focus on the Global South. Waste Management & Research, 42(10), 860-872.