Expert workshop on food waste emissions methodologies and MRV systems

The workshop is organized in the context of the global GEF-8 Food Waste Breakthrough: A Methane Mitigation project, led by UNEP, which aims to accelerate food waste prevention and reduce methane emissions from food waste. As part of this initiative, UNEP and IIASA are working to strengthen MRV systems for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) and methane emissions reductions resulting from food waste reduction measures.

To support this effort, IIASA has conducted an assessment of existing food waste monitoring tools, emissions estimation methodologies, and MRV approaches. Building on this work, the workshop will bring together technical experts, methodology authors, and tool developers to exchange knowledge and discuss opportunities to improve the consistency, transparency, and comparability of food waste emissions accounting.

The closed online workshop will convene representatives from 14 modeling and methodology teams to:

• exchange knowledge on existing methodologies, models, and tools for measuring food waste and related GHG emissions;
• discuss methodological assumptions, data requirements, and reporting approaches;
• identify opportunities for greater comparability, transparency, and harmonization across methodologies; and
• explore ways to strengthen fit-for-purpose MRV systems for food waste and methane reporting.

The workshop will contribute to ongoing international efforts to improve the quantification of food waste-related emissions and support more effective methane mitigation strategies.