What is the UN waste goal?

Key Takeaways:

• The United Nations has established a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of which focuses on responsible consumption and production.

• SDG 12, “Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns,” includes a specific target to halve global food waste by 2030.

• Halving food waste would have significant environmental, social, and economic benefits, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, and saving money.

What is the UN Waste Goal?

The United Nations (UN) waste goal is to halve global food waste by 2030. This goal is part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production.

Why is the UN Waste Goal Important?

Food waste is a major problem with serious environmental, social, and economic consequences.

Environmental Consequences of Food Waste

Food waste contributes to climate change by releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It also wastes water and land resources used to produce food.

• ⅓ of all food produced is wasted.

• 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste.

• 24% of freshwater withdrawals are used to produce food that is wasted.

Social Consequences of Food Waste

Food waste also has social consequences. It contributes to food insecurity and poverty by diverting food away from those who need it.

• 811 million people are hungry.

• Food waste could feed 2 billion people.

Economic Consequences of Food Waste

Food waste also has economic consequences. It wastes money and resources that could be used for other purposes.

• $1 trillion is lost due to food waste each year.

• Food waste costs businesses money in lost revenue.

Benefits of Halving Food Waste

Halving food waste would have significant environmental, social, and economic benefits:

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4.4 gigatons.

• Save 28 trillion gallons of water.

• Save $90 billion in economic losses.

How to Achieve the UN Waste Goal

There are many ways to achieve the UN waste goal, including:

• Reducing food waste at home.

• Composting food scraps.

• Buying less food than you need.

• Storing food properly.

• Eating leftovers.

• Supporting businesses that are working to reduce food waste.

Conclusion

The UN waste goal is an important goal that would have significant environmental, social, and economic benefits. We can all do our part to achieve this goal by reducing food waste in our own lives and supporting businesses that are working to reduce food waste.