Global Alliance For Incinerator Alternatives

GAIAS MISSION IS TO CATALYZE A GLOBAL SHIFT TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE BY STRENGTHENING GRASSROOTS SOCIAL MOVEMENTS THAT ADVANCE SOLUTIONS TO WASTE AND POLLUTION.

INTERNATIONAL: GAIA USES A MOVEMENT-BUILDING NETWORK MODEL THAT EMPOWERS MEMBERS TO BUILD THEIR OWN CAPACITY, FACILITATES INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IN RESPONSE TO LOCAL ORGANIZING EFFORTS, AND COORDINATES COLLECTIVE RESEARCH AND CAMPAIGNS AROUND THE ISSUES OF WASTE, POLLUTION, CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. WE CONTINUE TO COORDINATE VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL LISTSERVS, REACHING A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF OUR NETWORK OF NEARLY 1,100 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS 90 COUNTRIES, AND WE HAVE BEEN ADVANCING OUR MEMBER OUTREACH THROUGH NEW PLATFORMS THAT WILL ENHANCE THE SHARING OF MEMBER EXPERIENCES AND THE COORDINATION OF CROSS-REGIONAL EFFORTS. WE DEPLOYED $360,000 IN GRANTS TO MEMBERS IN AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA. WE ALSO HELPED TO LINK OUR MEMBERS TO EXPERT RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC EVENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REVIEWS. GAIA SUPPORTED MEMBERS AROUND THE WORLD IN EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS BY BLOCKING THE CONSTRUCTION OF INCINERATORS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND SHIFTING POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL DRIVERS AWAY FROM DIRTY ENERGY. FOR EXAMPLE, IN SA~O PAULO, BRAZIL, A GAIA MEMBERS PERSISTENT EFFORTS HAVE LED TO THE PASSING OF A BILL THAT BANS LANDFILLING AND INCINERATION OF ORGANIC WASTE IN THE CITY TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS. OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION ZERO WASTE EUROPES PERSISTENT ADVOCACY EFFORTS PUSHED MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP) TO APPROVE THE INCLUSION OF MUNICIPAL INCINERATORS IN THE SCOPE OF THE EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME (ETS) AS OF 2026, PUTTING A CO2 PRICE ON EVERY TONNE OF FOSSIL CO2 EMITTED BY INCINERATORS. GAIA RALLIED AGAINST THE DECISION TO INCLUDE SO-CALLED WASTE TO ENERGY (WTE) INCINERATION IN THE LATEST VERSION OF THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK'S (ADB) ENERGY POLICY, PUSHING INSTEAD FOR DIVESTMENT FROM WTE.

U.S./CANADA: GAIA PROVIDED TECHNICAL AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT, RESOURCES, AND INFORMATION TO MEMBERS AND ALLIES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA AND AMPLIFIED THEIR EFFORTS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, AS THEY WORKED TO ADDRESS PRESSING WASTE ISSUES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. GAIAS PROJECT FROM DUMPING GROUNDS TO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES PROVIDED FOCUSED, ONGOING SUPPORT TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BALTIMORE, MD; DETROIT, MI; LONG BEACH AND COMMERCE, CA; MINNEAPOLIS, MN; NEWARK, NJ; AND OREGON IN EFFORTS TO SHUT DOWN POLLUTING INCINERATORS AND ADVANCE HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVES, ADDING NEW COHORT MEMBERS IN MINNESOTA AND NEW JERSEY. WE COORDINATED MEMBERS WITH OTHERIN-STATE AND NATIONAL PARTNERS ON ISSUES RELATED TO AIR POLLUTION, CUMULATIVE IMPACTS, AND INCINERATOR SUBSIDIES. WE HAVE ALSO WORKED WITH MEMBERS TO ADDRESS NEW POLICY THREATS RELATED TO PLASTICS AND SO-CALLED CHEMICAL RECYCLING. OUR NON-LOBBYING, ADMINISTRATIVE ADVOCACY WITH THE EPA SECURED SIGNIFICANT REGULATORY SUCCESSES WITH REGARD TO RECYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDINGNO INCINERATION OR CHEMICAL RECYCLING PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED WITH THIS MONEY. WE BEGAN WORK WITH MEMBERS AND PARTNERS ON KEY STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE METHANE FROM THE WASTE SECTOR. WE ALSO COLLABORATED WITH THE NATIONAL CAUCUS OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATORS ON A STATE ROADMAP ON ZERO WASTE.

GLOBAL PROJECTS: PLASTICS & CLIMATE: WE ORGANIZED A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN (#QUITSACHETS) IN JUNE 2022 DEMANDING THAT FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS COMPANIES STOP USING SACHET PACKAGING, AND SUPPORTED MEMBERS IN THE ASIA/PACIFIC REGION TO STEP UP ADVOCACY ON SACHET PACKAGING. AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT BY REUTERS DREW ON GAIA MEMBERS IN THE REGION TO EXPOSE TACTICS TO DERAIL AND HIJACK SACHETS REGULATIONS IN INDIA, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES, AND SRI LANKA. GAIA ORGANIZED THE FIRST GLOBAL ZERO WASTE CITIES SUMMIT ONLINE, DRAWING HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS, AND SPOKE AT THE UNITED NATIONS TO MARK THE UNS FIRST GLOBAL ZERO WASTE DAY. IN OUR MEMBERS ZERO WASTE WORK IN THE PAST YEAR, YOUTH PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN BUILDING A STRONGER AND MORE INCLUSIVE MOVEMENT, ORGANIZING CAPACITY-BUILDING WORKSHOPS, CAMPAIGNS, AND EVENTS SUCH AS INTERNATIONAL ZERO WASTE MONTH, ZERO WASTE ACADEMY, ETC. TO DATE, OVER 550 MUNICIPALITIES AROUND THE WORLD ARE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING ZERO WASTE SUCH AS BANDUNG, BALI, DUMAGUETE, HOI AN, ACCRA, AND SIQUIJOR. THESE MODELS INTEGRATED HUNDREDS OF WASTE WORKERS AND WASTE PICKERS IN ZERO WASTE SYSTEMS, INSTITUTED SEGREGATED WASTE COLLECTION AND WASTE ASSESSMENT AND BRAND AUDITS, AND REGULATED SINGLE-USE PLASTIC, RESULTING IN IMPROVED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, WASTE REDUCTION, AND ZERO WASTE JOBS GENERATION. GAIA HAS BEEN ACTIVE IN GLOBAL POLICY EFFORTS ADDRESSING CLIMATE AND PLASTICS. WE PARTICIPATED IN GLOBAL POLICY SPACES LIKE UNEA, COP, AND IPCC WORKING GROUPS. WE RELEASED ZERO WASTE TO ZERO WARMING, A LANDMARK GLOBAL REPORT DETAILING COMPREHENSIVE EVIDENCE ON HOW BETTER WASTE MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL TO ANY CLIMATE PLAN, PUTTING THE SPOTLIGHT ON ZERO WASTE STRATEGIES IN EIGHT DIFFERENT CITIES INCLUDING SEOUL, TEMUCO, LVIV, AND DETROIT. THE INCLUSION OF WASTE WORKERS IN THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS COMMITTEE (INC-1) TO DISCUSS THE GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY WAS A HUGE STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, DEMONSTRATING RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHTS, SKILLS, AND IMPORTANCE OF THE INFORMAL WASTE SECTOR. BUILDING ON THIS MOVE, GAIA HAS BEEN WORKING ON EXPANDING THE GROUP OF FRIENDS OF WASTE PICKERS TO ALLOW WASTE WORKERS FROM ASIAN STATES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS. WITH THE SPOTLIGHT ON THE GLOBAL PLASTICS TREATY, GAIA ALSO CONTINUED TO SUSTAIN MOMENTUM BY SUPPORTING MEMBERS ACROSS THE GLOBE WORKING TOWARD THIS.