H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and COP29 President Designate.
Excellencies, delegates,
It is a pleasure to join you here today in Baku, a city that will, in just over 130 days, host the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of Parties, or COP29.
As we gather here in Baku the world is gripped by a triple planetary crisis: the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature and biodiversity loss, and the crisis of pollution and waste. The impacts are playing out right in front of us and the vast amount of waste our economies generate is exasperating this challenge.
2.24 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste was produced globally in 2020. This is not only wasting valuable resources, but also causing significant pollution risks from the estimated 33% of global waste that is burnt openly or dumped and then flows into our soils, our rivers, our oceans.
Construction and demolition waste now accounts for more than a third of all waste generated by society. We often don’t think of this as waste, but it is. The growing impact of disasters and conflicts globally is substantially increasing the volume of debris, debris that can be recycled into aggregate to support reconstruction efforts.
And waste management is also causing an increase in methane emissions. The waste sector now accounts for 20% of all anthropogenic methane emissions. For the 150 plus countries that have committed to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030, addressing landfills that are emitting methane emissions – and will do for decades to come without action – is critical.
So, it is clear, we need to move beyond the waste era we are living in. An era driven by a throw away culture, cheaply made products and increasing consumer demand. We need to decouple waste generation from economic growth and shift to zero waste models, embrace waste management and embed circular economy approaches across economies and societies.
Circularity and zero waste approaches can help break our waste addiction. Zero waste initiatives in just five sectors - cement, aluminum, steel, plastics, and food – could eliminate an estimated half of the emissions from the production of goods – 9.3 billion tonnes of CO2eq in 2050 – equivalent to cutting current emissions from the transport sector to zero.
Take plastics. Just 9 percent of plastic waste is recycled, 17 per cent is incinerated, 22 percent is left uncollected, and 46 percent dumped in landfills. Not forgetting millions of tonnes of plastic pollution that ends up in our oceans. A zero-waste approach can reduce the global annual volume of plastics entering our oceans by over 80%, reduce virgin plastic production by 55%, reduce government costs by $70 billion over the next 20 years and reduce GHG emissions by 25% while creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs, mainly in the Global South.
UNEP’s Global Waste Management Outlook also reminds us that embracing circular economy approaches on waste will deliver environmental and economic benefits.
This year’s report shows municipal solid waste generation is predicted to grow from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. Costs are also rising quickly. In 2020, the global direct cost of waste management was an estimated $252 billion. But the often-forgotten associated costs are far greater. When we factor in all the hidden costs from pollution, health issues and climate change from poor waste disposal practices, the cost rises to $361 billion. Without urgent action, by 2050 the global annual waste management cost could almost double to a staggering $640 billion.
How do we turn words into action? As all eyes turn to Baku ahead of COP29, here are three ways in which we can collectively make progress.
First, we need to build greater capacity to deal with both our present challenges and prepare for the transformational shift we need.
This means dealing with leaking methane emissions. Banning open burning to reduce deadly air pollution. Increasing waste management capacity, from collection to recycling and reuse. Supporting debris recycling efforts as an integral part of post-disaster and post-conflict recovery. Azerbaijan is already showing leadership in tackling waste with innovative efforts in recycling demolition waste in the conflict-affected areas in collaboration with the private sector and technical advice from UNEP.
Secondly, applying a life-cycle approach that covers the design and production phase of products so that products stay longer in the economy and be reused, without creating a waste burden in the first place.
Thirdly, we must unlock finance. None of the above will be possible without it, especially for developing countries. I live in Nairobi, Kenya, and many countries across the continent lack solid waste management infrastructure. They are burning waste not because they want to, but because they do not have proper waste management. Financing, including greater support from Multilateral Development Banks, to build out the resources they need is critical. Countries have also started to include waste into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which will unlock climate finance to scale waste management solutions.
Finally, we need to embrace existing multilateral agreements and deliver ambitious new ones, including securing a plastics treaty later this year.
This instrument on plastic pollution must address the full life cycle of plastics, rethink the entire system and redesign of products and packaging. From using fewer virgin materials for plastic that is single use and short-lived, to removing chemicals in plastic products where there is harmful exposure, the final round of negotiations can deliver an ambitious global deal that help protects human and ecosystem health, slows climate change, creates new jobs and sustainable markets, and delivers a just transition. Something I look forward to working with you all to achieve.
Zero waste is a win win. Keeping materials in the economy and strengthening waste management will deliver financial savings. Protect people’s health. Safeguard nature. And reduce emissions.
Only a drastic reduction in waste generation will secure a liveable and affordable future for all.
