The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has urged World leaders and financial institutions attending the forthcoming COP30 Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil, to prioritize climate financing for community-based zero waste programs, particularly in developing countries.

The organization described such initiatives as equitable, cost-effective, and powerful tools for reducing global methane emissions.

In a new policy brief titled “Pay the Pickers: How COP30 Can Finance Zero Waste and Cut Methane Fast,” GAIA emphasized that grassroots-led waste management systems can reduce methane emissions by up to 95%, create jobs, and enhance community livelihoods yet remain largely neglected in climate funding.

According to a statement issued by GAIA, the alliance cautioned against investments in “waste-to-energy” incineration and related technologies, calling them false solutions that endanger public health, displace workers, and entrench carbon emissions.

GAIA’s Global Climate Policy Officer, Yobel Putra, called on COP30 delegates to support inclusive climate strategies that deliver tangible community benefits.

“At the ‘Implementation COP,’ leaders must back cost-effective climate solutions that make people’s lives better and leave no one behind,” Putra said. “Investing in community-based zero waste solutions does just that.”

The group noted that although the waste sector accounts for nearly 20% of global methane emissions, it received less than 1.5% of climate finance in 2023 with 99% of that going to incineration projects rather than organic waste management.

GAIA highlighted successful zero waste initiatives in Accra, Buenos Aires, and Quezon City, where informal waste pickers have been integrated into formal systems that promote environmental health, food security, and local economic growth.

“Zero waste systems boost jobs, reduce pollution, and strengthen community resilience,” said Cecilia Allen, GAIA’s Global Zero Waste Cities Program Director. “With public policy support, these benefits could go even further.”