Could cutting food waste be a climate “emergency brake”?

What’s going on here?

The UN has unveiled a plan to cut methane emissions by reducing food waste. At COP29 in Baku, it described its plan to combat the potent greenhouse gas and help keep 1.5 degrees of warming within reach.

So far, over 30 countries have signed the commitment, including eight of the top 10 biggest emitters of methane from food waste.

What does this mean?

Food waste is a big problem for the climate. Around 20% of the world’s methane emissions come from discarded food rotting on rubbish dumps. Last year, the Guardian reported that there have been 1,200 massive methane leaks from landfill sites since 2019.

The Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste aims to curb methane emissions by getting countries to commit to new targets on food waste. The UN is encouraging countries to throw out less food, and do more composting of food waste which produces up to 84% less methane.

Why should we care?

Methane emissions have been rising rapidly since the early 2000s, and curbing them could buy vital time for the global community to act on carbon emissions.

Methane is responsible for a third of all global heating today, and it’s over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. But it doesn’t live long in the atmosphere. That means it’s a big opportunity: cutting methane emissions has an effect on the climate relatively quickly.

Scientists have also warned of a vicious cycle of methane emissions. With temperatures climbing across the world, more methane is being released from natural sinks such as wetlands and permafrost. These rising emissions are also unaccounted for in many climate models.

Reducing human-made methane emissions is key to breaking this feedback loop. This new agreement at COP29 will help to support the 2021 Global Methane Pledge which aims to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. We hope this means it will continue to be a priority on the international climate agenda.