Waste and climate change: global trends and strategy framework
The Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has directed its International Environmental Technology Centre (IETC) branch to take action in the area of waste management. There are substantial co-benefits of waste management in the context of climate change. As a first step to realize these co-benefits, this report seeks to examine the potential of climate impacts and benefits of different waste management activities, and to present a UNEP-lead framework strategy to assist member countries in prioritising their resources and efforts for waste management and climate change mitigation. The framework strategy is intended to align with the internationally recognised waste management hierarchy, in which waste prevention receives the highest priority, to optimise the co-benefits for climate change mitigation.