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COP28: Five takeaways for the waste and recycling industry 

From launching 'Waste to Zero' initiative to the WASTE Map, COP28 drove conversation focusing on the role of waste and recycling industry.


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COP 28
 
December 21 2023
 
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  • Waste, finally, on the agenda

According to an IPCC report, the waste management sector makes a relatively minor contribution to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, estimated at approximately 5 percent of total anthropogenic emissions. However, the waste sector is in a unique position to move from being a minor source of global emissions to becoming a major saver of emissions. It can contribute to a reduction of 20 percent GHG from the overall emissions! 

The link between sound waste management and reduction in GHG emission is often an overlooked subject at climate summits, although dialogues have focused on plastic pollution and food waste. The 28th session was probably the first COP that put the role of waste management and recycling on the climate agenda. 

The Waste and Resource Pavilion, dedicated to dialogues on waste management and resource efficiency was hosted by the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) in the Blue Zone, COP28. Together with its members and partners, ISWA brought forward the voice of the waste and resources management sector to demonstrate the significant link between climate change and waste management and place sound waste management higher on the global climate agenda.  Through daily sessions, the pavilion became a platform for conversations on the circular economy, decarbonised waste management and environmental preservation in line with the Paris Agreement. 

  • Waste to Zero Initiative 

Marking a historic moment at COP28, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) and Tadweer (Abu Dhabi Waste Management Company) launched the 'Waste to Zero' initiative. This global endeavour aims to champion efforts in decarbonising waste management and establishing a circular economy platform. Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change & Environment, assumed the chairmanship to drive its ambitious goals forward. Waste to Zero is a voluntary coalition that strives for sector emission reduction in line with the Paris Agreement and supports circular economy implementation. She noted: “Through this, we aim to address all possible solutions from waste minimization to waste-to-energy infrastructure, and to pivot to a circular economy model.” 

  • Circularity Task Force 

During COP28, the Sustainable Markets Initiative launched the Circularity Task Force, which will be coordinated by Gemini Corporation. The Circularity Task Force aims to provide guidance to private and public sector organisations on how they can incorporate circularity into their corporate vision and business and operational activities. 

The Task Force aims to share best practices, strategies and supportive guides for the private sector. The Task Force also aims to support the acceleration of the circular economy transition across the value chain. The member companies include First Abu Dhabi Bank, Dubai Airports, Gemini Corporation, Holcim, Investcorp, and LGT Group.

  • WASTE Map launched 

The Waste Methane Assessment Platform (Waste MAP), the first-ever global platform to use satellite monitoring to track and measure the locations and amounts of methane emissions from waste, was launched at COP28. 

The platform, developed by the Global Methane Hub, in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research (SRON)/GHGSat, and Carbon Mapper, consolidates satellite information on landfill methane emissions. It will enable local governments and NGOs to pinpoint the exact location of a methane source, allowing them to intervene and mitigate the emissions before they become hazardous.

The technology will help create safer living conditions for 135 million people around the globe by reducing public health emergencies created by methane, such as landfill fires, explosions, and air pollution.

  • Food on the table  

Breaking new ground, COP28 dedicated an entire day exclusively to food and agriculture, unveiling a comprehensive food systems roadmap curated by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO roadmap prioritised a 25 per cent reduction in methane emissions from livestock and aimed to cut food waste emissions in half by 2030. It suggested promoting the cultivation of a more biodiverse range of crops compared to the current global reliance. A range of events on financing the regenerative agriculture transition and food waste reduction were organised in Blue as well as Green Zone. It also saw the launch of a sustainable agriculture declaration by over 130 countries.