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142 results
Shelved Again: Supermarkets’ missing action on methane
The report finds a 'leadership vacuum' in the global food retail sector regarding methane emissions. Despite the critical role of methane in short-term global warming, none of the 20 largest retailers assessed publicly reported their methane emissions or set specific targets to reduce them. While European retailers generally outperform US retailers in acknowledging the climate impact of livestock, the overall sector shows a lack of transparency and ambition. The report recommends that retailers set science-based methane reduction targets of at least 30% by 2030 and shift their product portfolios toward a 60/40 plant-to-animal protein sales split.
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Document type: Report
Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Research-Backed Solutions for K-12 Schools
A two-year initiative involving three elementary schools in Rockbridge County, Virginia, found that while diversion interventions did not reduce the total amount of food students discarded (plate waste), they successfully diverted nearly 100% of uneaten entrées, fruits, and vegetables from landfills. The project utilized on-site composting via Earth Cubes and off-site diversion to a local farmer for chicken feed. Over two school years, the program diverted 14,221.50 lbs of food, resulting in a reduction of 42.17 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) and $388.34 in avoided landfill fees.
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Document type: Case study
Ending Wasted Food in K–12 Schools
WWF's Food Waste Warriors (FWW) program aims to eliminate food waste in US K–12 schools, noting that nearly 40% of food served in schools is wasted, totaling 530,000 tons and $1.7 billion in lost value annually. The program focuses on three pillars: engaging students through standards-aligned education, expanding edible food recovery via share tables and refrigerators, and diverting waste from landfills through composting. FWW reports that up to 90% of school food waste can be recovered or recycled, with some participating schools achieving a 70% reduction in waste. The report details success stories from Maryland, Maine, Tennessee, and Georgia, and proposes a national data-collection platform and recognition program to scale these efforts.
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Document type: Report
Packaging and the Environment
The document advocates for 'lifecycle thinking' in packaging to avoid 'greenwashing' and suboptimal design. It explains that both overpackaging and underpackaging create environmental burdens, and that the optimal design varies by product. The report details the functions of packaging—containment, protection, utility, and communication—and evaluates various end-of-life (EOL) options, noting that waste management infrastructure in low-income countries often relies on open dumps. It concludes that policy interventions like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) are essential for improving material collection and sorting.
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Document type: Report
Does the EU need an Emissions Trading System for Agriculture?
The document assesses the potential for an Emissions Trading System for Agriculture (Agri-ETS) in the EU, arguing that such a system would only be effective if it targets large-scale polluters, avoids free allowances and carbon offsets, and is integrated into a wider suite of reforms. It highlights the risks of 'GHG tunnel vision' and the necessity of reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to stop subsidising harmful practices. The author advocates for a 'Just Transition Fund for Agri-food' to support small-scale farmers using Agri-ETS revenues.
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Document type: Statement
This Thanksgiving, Congress should help families waste less food
The author argues that systemic issues, such as confusing date labels and liability concerns for grocers, drive significant food waste in the United States. The text advocates for two bipartisan bills: the Food Date Labeling Act, to standardize date labels and facilitate food donations, and the NO TIME TO Waste Act, to establish a USDA Office of Food Loss and Waste and aim for a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.
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Document type: Statement
What 4 countries that are successfully cutting waste methane have in common
The document examines how four countries—Germany, the UK, Japan, and Australia—successfully reduced waste sector methane emissions through a combination of legislation, market-based tools, public education, and voluntary agreements. It highlights a general trend of diverting waste from landfills toward recycling, composting, and incineration, while noting that high-income countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania have seen the most significant progress.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Kuidas muuta Eesti koolitoidu pakkumist kestlikumaks ja tervist toetavamaks?
The document identifies significant variability in the quality of Estonian school meals and highlights systemic issues including insufficient funding, low professional prestige for school cooks, and regulatory barriers to using local, seasonal produce. It advocates for a national vision of sustainable school meals based on ten elements—including health, affordability, and planetary boundaries—and introduces the 'Whole School Food Culture' framework to integrate nutrition into education. Key recommendations include increasing state funding in line with inflation, establishing national minimum criteria for procurement to reduce regional inequality, and ensuring daily plant-based options for all students.
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Document type: Briefing
Five ways to take climate action at work, brainstormed by employees like you
The guide outlines five ways employees can drive climate action at work: reducing office food waste to mitigate methane emissions, engaging clients and customers in sustainability discussions, vetting service providers to avoid supporting high-emitting industries, advocating for fossil-fuel-free retirement plans, and developing internal department-specific climate action guides.
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Document type: Guide
Methane Abatement Now: Financing Agrifood Transition in the EU
The EU agriculture sector is a primary source of methane emissions, yet progress in reduction has stalled, with only a 4% decline between 2005 and 2022. The report identifies a critical 'definition gap' where the lack of clear net-zero aligned agricultural practices and transition pathways prevents banks and investors from identifying green activities. This is compounded by the exclusion of agriculture from the EU Taxonomy and the Green Asset Ratio (GAR). The report argues for repurposing the EUR 57.5bn annual Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget, introducing livestock emissions taxes, and implementing demand-side policies to reduce herd sizes. It emphasizes a 'just transition' to protect small farms and high-emission regions, particularly in France, Germany, and Ireland.
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Document type: Report
Farm to Feed: Curbing Food Wastage to Reduce CO2 Emissions
Farm to Feed addresses food waste in Kenya by purchasing surplus and imperfect produce from farmers and selling it to B2B customers or donating it to schools. Supported by FSD Africa's Catalyst Fund, the company has scaled its network from 300 to 6,000 farmers, resulting in a 41% increase in farmer incomes and the prevention of 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions by saving 920,000 kg of food.
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Document type: Case study
“CLEAN UP IN AISLE 3” “CLEAN UP ON AISLE 3” THE METHANE MESS SUPERMARKETS ARE HIDING
The report finds a systemic lack of methane accountability among top US and European supermarkets, with none of the 20 largest retailers setting specific methane reduction targets despite the significant impact of animal agriculture on global heating.
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Document type: Report
Urban Food Environments
The document argues that Africa's rapid urban growth necessitates immediate investment in food environments to prevent unhealthy path dependencies. It identifies a funding gap of US$100 million over the next five years across four key initiatives: AfriFOODlinks, the Africa Food Environment Research Network (FERN), the Living Off-Grid Food & Infrastructure Collaboration (LOGIC), and the Resilient Municipal Market Fund (ReMark). The brief emphasizes that urban food environments are shaped by physical, economic, social, and infrastructural factors, and suggests aligning these with agroecological principles to improve resilience, equity, and resource efficiency.
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Document type: Briefing
Solutions for managing food security risks in a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape
The report examines the intersection of climate-driven food insecurity and geopolitical instability, arguing that the weaponization of food trade and the reversal of global economic integration exacerbate the risks posed by climate change. It recommends a combination of enhancing domestic climate-resilient agriculture, pursuing plurilateral cooperation among small groups of countries, transitioning to plant-based diets, and integrating demographic shifts into food security planning.
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Document type: Report
How Countries Can Use Behavior Change to Further Reduce Emissions
A review of 20 national climate commitments reveals that while some high-emitting countries are integrating behavior change policies, there are significant gaps in the adoption of high-impact practices and the variety of behavioral tools used.
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Document type: Report
INSTRUMENT ANALYSIS SEPTEMBER 2024 RESILIENT MUNICIPAL MARKET FUND (REMARK)
The Resilient Municipal Market Fund (ReMark) is a proposed blended finance facility designed to address the lack of investment in African urban food markets, which are critical to food security but vulnerable to climate risks. The instrument combines a revolving debt facility for capital expenditure loans (USD 0.5-10 million) and a technical assistance (TA) facility managed by ICLEI Africa to prepare markets for investment. The pilot phase targets six municipalities in East and Southern Africa with a total budget of approximately USD 35 million, including USD 30 million in debt and repayable grants and USD 5 million in TA grants. ReMark categorizes markets into three types (A, B, and C) based on financial maturity, proposing different pathways to bankability, including a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure for the most challenged markets. Planned retrofits include cold storage, off-grid solar PV, and improved drainage to reduce food waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Report
#GenerationRestoration: Recognizing media on World Environment Day
The statement emphasizes the necessity of accurate environmental reporting to address the 'triple planetary crisis' of pollution, climate, and biodiversity loss. It notes that environmental journalism is among the most dangerous beats, second only to war reporting, particularly for citizen journalists from Indigenous communities.
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Document type: Statement
What's the best climate action you can take?
The guide argues against one-size-fits-all climate action lists, instead encouraging individuals to audit their own habits in four key areas: diet, electricity use, travel, and home temperature regulation. It highlights the environmental impact of agriculture, fossil-fuel electricity, and transportation, offering specific practical steps—such as shifting to plant-rich diets, upgrading to LED bulbs, and reducing air travel—to lower personal greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Guide
Eat Less Meat Hubbub
The project tested communication strategies to encourage diet change among a specific demographic in Moston, Manchester. Findings indicate that health benefits, cost savings, and community-led messaging are more effective than climate-focused arguments. The study emphasizes avoiding 'marketing' terms like 'plant-based' and instead focusing on simple swaps and authentic, peer-to-peer sharing within the community.
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Document type: Case study
If your Climate Action Plan doesn’t include food waste, here’s why you should add it before the March 1 deadline
The author argues that food waste is a critical but often overlooked component of climate action plans, noting that food waste in the US generates 170 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The document highlights the EPA's $4.6 billion CPRG program as a key funding opportunity for governments to implement scalable waste reduction projects, citing California's Senate Bill 1383 as a model for curbing organic waste in landfills.
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Document type: Statement