STATEMENT: More than 30 Countries Commit to Tackle Methane from Organic Waste

November 19, 2024

Statement

Food Loss and Waste

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (November 19, 2024) - Today at COP29, over 30 countries committed to reduce methane from organic waste such as food. The Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste supports previous COP commitments, including the Lowering Organic Waste Methane (LOW-Methane) initiative to cut 1 million metric tons of annual waste sector emissions and the broader Global Methane Pledge to cut all global methane emissions at least 30% by 2030.

Food loss and waste accounts for 8-10% of total annual greenhouse gas emissions and methane emissions from food waste in landfills are a significant component, representing 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

Following is a statement from Liz Goodwin, Senior Fellow and Director for Food Loss and Waste, World Resources Institute:

"This declaration demonstrates countries are finally waking up to a must-tackle source of climate pollution: food waste in landfills. This is a solvable problem. We should not be sending food waste to landfills where we know it decomposes and produces climate-harming methane.

"Countries now need to turn this commitment into action by developing plans and policies that first reduce food loss and waste, and then invest in alternative processing and treatment for any food that is wasted. Countries should include diversion of food waste from landfill as an integral part of their climate strategy, including in their upcoming national climate commitments (NDCs).

"It is a travesty that globally we lose or waste around a third of all the food which we produce, while millions continue to go hungry. The benefits of ending food waste for people, for the climate and for nature are clear. Let this not be another unfulfilled pledge, but rather the moment where governments start making food loss and waste reduction the political priority that it deserves to be."