Food waste has emerged as a critical but under-addressed climate action gap at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with new initiatives highlighting both the scale of the challenge and direct support mechanisms for food companies. Despite food waste contributing up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, only 30 countries have included waste reduction in their climate commitments, according to assessments by WRAP.
The UN Environment Programme and partners launched the Food Waste Breakthrough initiative at COP30, a program that specifically engages food businesses alongside governments and cities. The initiative sets clear targets for the private sector: measuring and reporting waste, redistributing surplus, and investing in circular and low-waste operations.
According to UNEP’s Food Waste Index Report 2024, the world wastes over one billion tonnes of food annually, contributing to a financial loss of one trillion dollars per year. Food waste accounts for up to 14% of methane emissions. If left unchecked, food waste could double its methane impact by 2050.
“Reducing this food waste is key to addressing hunger and cutting methane emissions from landfills — decisive action to lower global temperatures, save money, and tackle food insecurity at the same time,” said Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director.
Business support and implementation framework
The Food Waste Breakthrough is built on three pillars: Capacity Building & Advocacy, Data & Policy, and Finance & Implementation. Food businesses can join the initiative by endorsing the statement, designating a focal point, outlining existing food waste strategies, selecting priority actions, and identifying support needs in technical assistance, policy, or financing.
Funded by the Global Environment Facility, UNEP will launch a three million dollar, four-year global project to implement the targets, accelerating food waste prevention and methane mitigation in developing countries. UNEP is also working with financial institutions to secure a five million dollar challenge fund for 20-25 community innovations across Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
“To build a truly sustainable food system, we must rethink how we value food, from farm to fork and beyond,” said Catherine David, CEO at WRAP. “Reducing food waste is one of the fastest, most practical ways to cut emissions, ease pressure on supply chains, and make better use of the resources we already have.”
Leading food loss and waste NGOs WRAP, ReFED, and The Global FoodBanking Network co-hosted a half-day of action at COP30 dedicated to addressing food waste. The organizations emphasized that with global food waste ranking third behind China and the United States in terms of emissions, action on food waste offers measurable climate benefits with existing solutions.
Dana Gunders, president at ReFED, noted that reducing food waste offers multiple benefits for climate, economies, and communities. “Lots of food waste solutions already exist and are ready to be implemented. Making that commitment is the first step to taking action,” Gunders said.
Regional policy developments are creating additional momentum. Brazil’s new intersectoral strategy demonstrates how major food-producing countries are embedding food waste reduction across national policy, while Colombia, Chile, and Indonesia are linking these actions to methane reduction and circular economy goals, according to WRAP’s analysis.
Current Nationally Determined Contributions put the world on track for 4-5°C of warming, far beyond Paris Agreement goals, according to WRAP. The latest World Resources Institute Climate Action report shows that none of their 45 climate indicators are on track to reach 1.5°C targets this decade, increasing pressure on all sectors to accelerate emissions reductions.
