COP29: 35 countries commit to reduce methane from organic waste
MANILA, Philippines – At least 35 countries, representing 47% of global methane emissions, endorsed the COP29 Declaration on Reducing Organic Waste Methane on Tuesday, November 19.
According to the COP29 presidency, the initial signatories include seven of the 10 largest organic waste methane emitters in the world.
In the declaration, countries commit to scale organic waste policies, finance, data, and global partnerships. This is part of the broader Global Methane Pledge where 159 countries agree to cut methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
Reducing methane is critical in mitigating climate change as it traps more heat than carbon dioxide. Landfills emit methane when organic waste, particularly food, decompose. Around 8% to 10% of global emissions come from food loss and waste.
Members of civil society welcomed the declaration but are cautious of how targets are going to be achieved, putting emphasis on waste pickers and workers.
While waste workers were mentioned at the end of the declaration, “there is no clarity on how this will take into effect,” said Mariela Pino of GAIA Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Waste pickers have always been at the forefront of waste management and there is no denying their contribution in waste methane emissions reduction, however they continue to be ignored,” said Pino.
The informal sector, along with other vulnerable groups, is mentioned in the penultimate paragraph of the declaration, which reads: “Also, promote climate actions in organic waste management through global partnerships and dialogue, considering the perspectives of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, children, youth, persons with disabilities, and people in vulnerable situations including informal waste pickers.”
This development comes a few days before the global climate negotiations wrap up.
As COP29 nears conclusion, the world is anticipating how much money developed parties will commit for the new climate finance goal by 2025. For methane reduction, rich countries recently pledged $500 million worth of grant funding for developing nations.
Here is the list of states that endorsed the COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste:
- Azerbaijan
- South Korea
- Japan
- Russia
- Bhutan
- Slovak Republic
- Israel
- Moldova
- Brazil
- United Arab Emirates
- Czech Republic (Czechia)
- Germany
- Morocco
- Belarus
- Kazakhstan
- USA
- Turkey
- Chile
- Canada
- Norway
- Belgium
- Eritrea
- Serbia
- Mexico
- Palestine
- Austria
- Malta
- Jordan
- North Korea
- Marshall Islands
- United Kingdom
- Gambia
- Nigeria
- Guatemala
- Malaysia
– Rappler.com