COP31 Sets Targets to Halve Global Waste by 2035
The agenda focuses on capturing methane emissions to accelerate global warming reduction efforts.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Environmental
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Should national governments prioritize aggressive waste reduction policies to combat global climate change?
The COP31 Presidency in Antalya has announced zero waste as a central theme in its new action agenda. The proposal includes a goal to halve the growth in global waste by 2035 by prioritizing methane reduction and circular economy policies.
Why it matters
The Presidency identifies methane emissions from waste as a critical, high-impact lever for slowing global warming. By integrating these strategies into national climate commitments, the initiative aims to formalize waste management as a core pillar of international climate policy.
The agenda focuses on 10 priority themes, including infrastructure development and food loss reduction. The primary objective is to halve the growth in global waste by 2035 through methane mitigation.
The players
COP31 Presidency
The leadership body responsible for setting the action agenda and policy priorities at the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya.
The details
The strategy targets methane, a potent greenhouse gas, emitted during the organic waste decomposition process. By promoting circular economy policies—frameworks designed to minimize resource input and waste production—the Presidency seeks to divert organic materials from landfills. The plan also encourages nations to integrate these waste-management opportunities directly into their Nationally Determined Contributions, the official climate plans submitted under international treaties.
Timeline
2035 is the target year set for halving the growth in global waste.
The Tech Race
This move shifts global climate focus toward waste-derived methane, a sector that has historically trailed behind energy and transport in policy prioritization. It follows the precedent established by the Paris Agreement's Nationally Determined Contributions framework by attempting to codify waste mitigation into binding international commitments.
For industrial sectors and municipal planners, this mandate signals a shift toward mandatory circular economy infrastructure and waste-methane capture. Local governments will likely see new policy incentives and technical requirements for managing organic waste and landfill emissions in the coming decade.
The takeaway
The COP31 agenda prioritizes waste-sector methane as a fast-track climate solution. Industry participants and policymakers should track whether these voluntary targets are formally adopted into national climate legislation over the next several years.
Further reading
Explore broader strategies for climate mitigation in our Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WMW.
Live Poll
Should national governments prioritize aggressive waste reduction policies to combat global climate change?
