Launched at COP31 in Antalya, an IEA report sets out a package of actions that could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by more than 1.5 billion tonnes annually by 2035, that is comparable to eliminating emissions from half of the world’s car fleet.

Synergies between waste reduction, resource efficiency and energy systems decarbonisation, prepared at the request of the COP31 President, the report examines opportunities at the intersection of waste reduction, resource efficiency and energy systems decarbonisation.

The report finds that many of these measures rely on proven technologies, but putting them into action will require a shift in how governments implement policies and how businesses design, produce and manage products, buildings and infrastructure throughout their life cycles.

The report highlights three high-potential areas where progress can be achieved: preventing waste through better design and more efficient use of materials; improving collection, sorting and recycling to recover valuable resources; and sustainably turning residual organic waste into energy. Together, these measures could reduce demand for energy-intensive materials such as steel and cement, help double global plastics recycling by 2035 and enable a fourfold increase in biogases production.

“The way we produce, consume and dispose of resources has far-reaching consequences not only for waste generation, but for our energy systems and our economies,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. “Governments and businesses have the power to accelerate progress towards a zero waste and circular economy, creating the conditions to waste less, use resources more efficiently and make better use of the waste we do generate."

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