A plethora of world leaders gathered at the historic G20 Summit held in Johannesburg recently and have reaffirmed their commitment to tackling the growing global waste crisis through innovative solutions and circular economy practices. 

Under the G20’s theme of "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," waste management emerged as a critical priority area within the Environment and Climate Sustainability agenda. These discussions addressed the urgent need for sustainable waste solutions, given that G20 nations collectively account for approximately 75% of global waste generation.

Key takeouts

Outgoing Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr. Dion George, emphasised that the summit had made significant progress across six environmental priorities, with chemicals and waste management in the spotlight alongside biodiversity conservation, land and water sustainability, climate change, air quality, and the protection of our oceans.

G20 leaders further acknowledged the growing threat to human health and the environment posed by waste generation and harmful chemicals, stressing the urgent need to transition to safer, more sustainable alternatives.

Circular economy and innovation

The summit highlighted waste-to-energy solutions as an encouraging approach to reducing landfill dependency, while recognising the importance of using technological advances to minimise environmental impact. Knowledge sharing on policies, regulations, and innovations was identified as essential to scaling these solutions globally.

Participating G20 members expressed their ongoing support for the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop – and hopefully – implement a legally binding international agreement on plastic pollution covering the full lifecycle of plastics from production through to responsible disposal.

Local impact

South Africa has made strategic use of the G20 Summit to showcase its own waste management initiatives. Infrastructure improvements, including the deployment of sustainable waste-handling systems in public spaces, form part of a broader legacy vision.

In addition, Johannesburg has successfully secured major international funding from Invest International and the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its Alternative Waste Treatment Technology Project, demonstrating what would appear to be global confidence in the city's sustainable waste management plans.

Looking forward

The outcomes of the G20 discussions on waste management have been incorporated into the Leaders' Declaration adopted at the summit. These commitments build upon the Cape Town Declarations and reinforce the G20's role in progressing evidence-based environmental policy and multilateral cooperation.

As the G20 Presidency transitions to the United States, the Johannesburg Summit's emphasis on waste management solutions reflects a growing realisation that sustainable development and economic prosperity are inseparable from responsible waste management.

Comments Patricia Schröder, President of the Institute of Waste Management of Southern Africa (IWMSA), “The G20’s engagement on waste management sets the tone for future collaborations. As the world seeks more sustainable development pathways, the Johannesburg Summit may mark a turning point where waste ceases to be an afterthought and becomes central to climate and urban resilience strategies.”