Climate financing has not been adequately directed to the waste management sector, Leslie Adogame, Executive Director of Sustainable Research and Action for Environmental Development (SRADev Nigeria), told Report.
According to him, climate financing is not sufficiently provided in the waste industry, and the small amount of existing funding is not directed to the right areas: "Instead, these funds are wasted on polluting technologies that only benefit a few people. It is crucial to increase climate financing in the waste management, direct it properly, and make it accessible for successful community-managed projects that have economic, social, and environmental impacts."
He called on governments to integrate the waste industry when updating their nationally determined contributions and prioritize methane utilization solutions in accordance with environmental justice principles: "The goal is to ensure a just transition for affected communities. At the same time, climate financing directed to the waste management and the integration of waste collectors ensures that no one is left behind. For this purpose, various funding organizations have been applied within the framework of COP29. Organizations such as the World Bank, International Financial Institute, development aid organizations, and charitable foundations are called upon to make transparent, quality, and significant financing commitments for combating climate change in the global south."
"It is proposed to recognize household waste management as the most important public service, finance it, and expand community-managed zero-waste initiatives: Supporting just transition in food systems and preventing food loss and waste are also among the important requirements," Adogame added.