"The overlapping crises of our time present an opportunity to build more resilient cities by implementing zero waste models.
Co-firing biomass is a technology that burns biomass alongside other fuels, typically coal, in existing power plants. This technology presents a different set of complexities and harms. In the context of ADB’s policy to support the early retirement of coal-based power plants—including decommissioning of coal-fired power plants and site redevelopment for new economic activity—co-firing of biomass with power plants, whether from energy crops or biomass waste, poses risks with long-term harms to air quality, local communities, ecosystems and efforts to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss in a region most vulnerable to these interlinked threats.

This factsheet assesses 49 “false solutions” projects by ADB that were active or approved between 2015 and 2025. It highlights total financing by solution, recipient countries, the largest funded projects, funding types and financial instruments, project timelines, and environmental and social risk categories these projects belong to. Since 2015, the bank has supported USD 15.3 billion worth of projects with false solutions to circularity and climate action, worsening the debt burdens of countries already challenged with the triple planetary crisis.

The Reppie Waste-to-Energy Facility in Addis Ababa was conceived as a modern solution to the city’s waste crisis and a step toward a greener economy. Since the plant’s inception, there have been concerns about equity and community health. This study examines the project’s social and ecological impacts through research and local perspectives, offering insights for more inclusive and sustainable urban waste management.
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