Brazil Urged to Speed Amazon Protection
A UN zero-waste advisory board member called for faster implementation of Brazil's circular economy strategy at the COP31 climate summit.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Environmental
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Carlos Silva Filho, a member of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste, urged Brazil to accelerate Amazon protection and speed up its national circular economy strategy. He made the remarks to Anadolu on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Türkiye.
Why it matters
The global waste system currently costs an estimated $252 billion annually and the waste sector directly accounts for 3% to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Brazil's strategy has been developed but requires faster implementation and greater financing.
The UN Environment Programme's business-as-usual projection puts global waste-related costs at $640.3 billion by 2050, compared with the current $252 billion annually. The article does not quantify how much Brazil would need to invest to speed up implementation.
The players
Carlos Silva Filho
Silva Filho is a member of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Zero Waste and coordinated the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024.
Emine Erdogan
Emine Erdogan is the first lady of Türkiye and championed the country's Zero Waste initiative launched in 2017.
The details
Filho coordinated the Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 cited in the discussion and framed zero waste as a lever for climate action. Türkiye's Zero Waste initiative, championed by first lady Emine Erdogan, began in 2017 and the COP31 presidency made zero waste a priority at the Antalya summit.
Timeline
• 2017: Türkiye's Zero Waste initiative began.
• 2024: Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 published.
• Nov. 9 to 20: COP31 climate summit runs in Antalya, Türkiye.
• 2050: Projected global waste costs reach $640 billion if current practices continue.
Big Picture
The UN Environment Programme's Global Waste Management Outlook projects $640.3 billion in annual waste costs by 2050 under business-as-usual conditions. Calls for Brazil to accelerate its circular economy strategy extend that projection into a concrete policy push at COP31.
Waste management practices shaped by circular economy strategies could influence future costs and emissions that affect households worldwide. The timeline and financing for such measures will determine how quickly these benefits reach everyday life.
The takeaway
Reducing waste is positioned as a way to lower both economic costs and greenhouse gas emissions at once. Faster implementation of existing national strategies, such as Brazil's, is the gap advocates are highlighting.
Further reading
Explore more on Environmental policy and climate-linked waste management.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Anadolu Ajansı.
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