By Zablon Oyigi, November 11, 2026, Global initiatives targeting waste reduction, resource efficiency and the circular economy are gaining momentum ahead of COP31’s Zero Waste Day on November 11, with cities, governments, businesses and communities stepping up efforts to turn climate commitments into practical action.
According to the UN-backed Global Climate Action Agenda highlights ahead of the day, zero waste solutions are playing an increasingly important role in tackling climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and strengthening community resilience.
The UN-backed framework operates alongside formal climate negotiations, bringing together non-state and government actors to accelerate the implementation of climate commitments on the ground.
Of the 119 Plans to Accelerate Solutions under the agenda, 24 are linked to zero waste and methane reduction, reflecting the growing recognition of waste prevention as a cross-cutting climate solution.
Among the key announcements is the expansion of the Istanbul Zero Waste Action Platform, which has surpassed 100 initiatives connecting zero waste and circular economy solutions with practical implementation across different sectors.
The platform focuses on accelerating solutions in food loss, circular construction, industry, transport, nature and cities. It is a flagship initiative of COP31 Climate High-Level Champion Samed Ağırbaş, operating under the Global Climate Action Agenda and the Marrakech Partnership.
Another major development is the launch of the first cohort of 20 Zero Waste Districts across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
The initiative aims to translate zero waste strategies into practical, adaptable models that can be implemented at neighbourhood level.
Participating districts include Pakis District in East Java, Indonesia; Abuakwa South in Kyebi, Ghana; and Bey District in Gaziantep, Türkiye.
Each district, covering approximately one square kilometre, will test established waste management solutions at operational scale over a full year. These interventions will include community composting sites, shared washing facilities and repair workshops.
The subsequent year will focus on documenting results and generating evidence, with all participating districts required to report using a common set of metrics and a standardised reporting format. The approach is intended to establish replicable models that other communities can adopt.
Waste pickers are also being placed at the centre of global climate action through the new 1×100 campaign, which aims to mobilise 100,000 waste pickers across 49 countries over 400 days.
The campaign seeks to support the recovery of one million tonnes of recyclable materials, with contributions tracked through a greenhouse gas emissions calculator to ensure that the environmental impact is measurable and traceable.
Powered by Fair Ton, the initiative is supported by the Global Alliance of Waste Pickers, Global Methane Hub and Fundación Avina. It builds on an earlier successful campaign in Latin America and the Caribbean, which brought together 80 organisations representing 2,500 waste pickers.
The announcements also include the release of the Our Zero Waste Future report, which highlights the potential of applying zero waste principles across the entire economy to significantly reduce climate pollution.
According to the report, using fewer materials and prioritising reuse could prevent an estimated 149 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
This potential reduction exceeds the amount of carbon dioxide the world can still afford to emit within its remaining carbon budget, underscoring the importance of resource efficiency and circular economy approaches in meeting global climate targets.
Meanwhile, the #OneBillion Challenge, a global initiative led by COP31 Climate High-Level Champion Samed Ağırbaş with support from the Zero Waste Foundation, seeks to turn the estimated one billion meals wasted every day into a global call for action.
The initiative aims to accelerate efforts to halve food waste by 2030, encouraging greater awareness, accountability and practical interventions across food systems.
Together, the initiatives demonstrate how zero waste approaches can contribute to climate mitigation while delivering wider environmental, economic and social benefits.
By reducing waste generation, recovering valuable materials, preventing food loss and supporting community-led solutions, they seek to address emissions at multiple points across the economy.
As COP31’s Zero Waste Day brings these efforts into focus, the announcements reinforce the message that tackling waste is not simply an environmental management priority, but an important and practical component of global climate action.
