Zero Waste is On the Global Agenda
July 2 – 5, 2024, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Across the globe, leaders are becoming increasingly aware of how crucial zero waste strategies like waste reduction, separate collection, and composting are to solving some of the biggest hurdles our civilization faces. These simple, socially inclusive and affordable approaches have been proven to reduce climate emissions and environmental pollution, support sustainable economies, and advance environmental justice.
As global consensus grows around the importance of rapidly scaling zero waste systems, GAIA is hosting two events, the International Zero Waste Cities Conference (July 2-4, 2024) alongside local member Nipe Fagio, and the Methane Action and Environmental Justice Summit (July 5, 2024) In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The purpose of these two events is to give changemakers from the government, financial, philanthropic, and advocacy sectors the opportunity to make vital connections and share best practices, in order to foster the collaborative spirit needed to achieve our collective zero waste goals.
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The most recent IZWCC video
Youtube playlist of the IZWCC
Go to the playlist for the IZWCC
Why GAIA?
GAIA is a worldwide alliance of more than 1,000 grassroots groups, non-governmental organizations, and individuals in over 90 countries, who together hold a diverse range of expertise in zero waste advocacy, policy, and implementation on a local, regional, and international level.
Our members have long been at the forefront of zero waste efforts around the world, and our work has been instrumental in the growing recognition of the waste sector’s powerful role in mitigating climate change, particularly through methane reductions. Through policy, finance, and narrative shifts, GAIA creates enabling conditions for systemic support of zero waste strategies. Mobilizing our vast global network of members and allies, we advocate for zero waste policy and finance, focusing on:
- international and local funding of zero waste systems
- zero waste roadmaps and regulatory frameworks that support their implementation
- inclusion of zero waste goals in local and national climate plans, such as Nationally Determined Contributions and methane reduction roadmaps.
GAIA distributes $2.6 million to member organizations annually, who have overseen the zero waste movement’s exponential growth–an estimated 50 million people around the world currently live in cities with zero waste commitments.
The International Zero Waste Cities Conference
July 2-4, 2024, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The International Zero Waste Cities conference (IZWCC), co-hosted by GAIA and GAIA local member Nipe Fagio, will bring together government leaders, zero waste practitioners, financial institutions and philanthropic organizations to learn best practices and implementation successes in the zero waste world in a highly interactive environment for mutual inspiration and further replication. The program includes two days of conference plus a site visit to a zero waste neighborhood in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The IZWCC was first launched in Asia Pacific in 2009, and in 2023 the baton was passed to the Africa region, signifying the spirit of cross-regional exchange that forms the bedrock of this conference.
What to expect:
- Learn about the latest research and success stories on zero waste policy, financing, and practices from on-the-ground experts in the field, and how they can be scaled in accordance with local contexts and realities
- Tour zero waste infrastructure in Tanzania with local implementers, and learn first-hand about how waste picker cooperative-led zero waste systems are transformative for communities in the Global South
- Find out more about why zero waste is so effective for climate mitigation and adaptation, and its particular importance in tackling methane emissions through organics management
- Engage with a diverse cross-section of thought-leaders and technical experts from a variety of sectors and geographies
- Share your organization or government’s achievements as a leader in the zero waste space, and find opportunities for collaboration
Methane Action and Environmental Justice Summit
July 5, 2024, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Methane Action and Environmental Justice Summit will bring together key stakeholders working on methane mitigation in the waste sector to reflect on how we can advance our collective mission to cut methane emissions and spark a just transition towards a more equitable world. The conversation will be informed by GAIA’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Principles for Fast Action on Waste and Methane, which was produced by GAIA in collaboration with environmental justice advocates and zero waste practitioners from 41 different countries, and provides guidance to policymakers and key stakeholders on on how to craft programs and policies for tackling methane that can also help address interconnected equity issues, making sure to integrate and harness the expertise of community members and waste workers into the design and implementation of waste systems to ensure that climate solutions are fair, just, and sustainable.
What to expect:
- Learn more about the myriad economic, social, and environmental co-benefits of applying EJ principles to methane reduction plans
- Engage in lively discussions with a diverse group of stakeholders ranging from environmental justice groups to international finance institutions about how to embed EJ principles in the financing, policy-making, and implementation of zero waste projects
- Discuss the barriers to implementing EJ principles for waste methane reduction, and collectively problem-solve
- Come away from the Summit with a clearer understanding of the role your organization or government can play in the wider ecosystem of actors working towards a just transition in the waste sector worldwide
Resources
About Our Host
Nipe Fagio, a GAIA member based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is co-hosting the International Zero Waste Cities Conference. This local organization has been building cooperative-led zero waste systems in Tanzania since 2019, and sees great potential in the formation and formalization of waste collection cooperatives in reducing the city’s waste and carbon footprint. For example, Wakusanya Taka Bonyokwa Cooperative Society’s contribution to separate collection helped to divert more than 80% of the waste generated in a low-income sub-ward of Bonyokwa, in the Ilala district in Dar es Salaam through composting, reuse, and recycling.
