INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION - Denkstatt

Working Group on Climate Change and
Waste Management
Chair: Gary Crawford, USA
In September 2010, according to a proposal of the STC,
a Working Group on Climate Change and Waste
Management has been established. The Vice Chair of
the ISWA Task Force on Waste Management and Climate
Change, Gary Crawford, has been appointed to chair this
new working group.
4.4. Projects 2009/2010
4.4.1. White Paper on Waste and Climate Change
Extreme weather events in different parts of the world
remind us that the climate issue is still hot and that
reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is an
important issue in order to mitigate climate change.
Reduced emissions of methane, reduced use and/or
substitution of fossil fuels and increased use of renewable
energy are examples of measures to be considered
globally to effect that change. Can waste management
contribute to meet this challenge?
In 2007 ISWA decided to establish a Task Force to address
the waste and climate change issue. This decision was
preceded by suggestions from a joint ISWA Working
Group meeting in Buenos Aires in 2005 and 3 provisional
case based assessments presented at the ISWA 2006
Congress in Copenhagen. However, the need for a more
comprehensive and systematic assessment became
evident, and the Task Force was formed and asked by
the ISWA Board to examine the interaction between GHG
emissions and waste management and to make recommendations
to ISWA. Reporting of the results was made
at the ISWA-DAKOFA conference in Copenhagen 3 to 5
December 2009, immediately prior to the COP 15 Meeting
in Copenhagen. Members of the Task Force were Gary
Crawford (USA, Vice Chair), Christian Fischer (DK), Jens
Aage Hansen (DK, Chair) and Antonis Mavropoulos (GR).
Jean Bogner (USA), Simon Aumonier (UK) and Thomas H.
Christensen (DK) provided particular input to the work
of the Task Force.
Based on workshops in 2008 in Singapore and Copenhagen
and in 2009 in Copenhagen and Paris, an ISWA
White Paper on Waste and Climate was released in
November 2009. It has 8 key messages regarding how to
reduce GHG emissions by targeted waste management
and 5 commitments by ISWA to make the potential
reduction of GHG emissions come true on a global scale.
In essence, waste management can change from being
a net GHG emission source (assessed by the IPPC in 2005
to be 3-5% of total global GHG emissions) to becoming
a major net saver of GHG emissions resulting from actions
as described in the 8 ISWA key messages stated in the
ISWA White Paper.
The ISWA White Paper describes how GHG accounting
is key to establishing efficient strategies to reduce GHG
emissions, including emission savings both upstream,
in-process and downstream of the waste management
action proper. In national accounting schemes and in
order to avoid double counting, credits for reduced GHG
emission are normally ascribed to industries such as the
paper manufacturing industry (for recycled fibers) or
energy utilities (for electricity and heat recovery).
The waste sector therefore may thus not obtain the carbon
credits that directly and indirectly relate to waste prevention,
recycling and other waste management activities.
On a city or regional scale it may be a useful exercise
to relate accounting of GHG emission reductions to
significant planning sectors such as traffic, housing,
waste and wastewater. Such scoped and targeted
regional and local government action plans may serve
as concrete tools to not only plan but also execute
and monitor GHG emission reduction programs in
a structured and result oriented way.
The ISWA White Paper presents a single city case to demonstrate
the significance of such action. The commitment
by ISWA to engage in more city waste action
programs would be very useful in terms of establishing
city networks that share experiences and drive the
development towards more effective GHG emission
reductions on a global scale. Integrated and coordinated
action with other international organizations would
enhance the effect of such ISWA initiatives.
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The ISWA White Paper on Waste and Climate Change
can be downloaded for free at www.iswa.org.