Waste pickers, indigenous and traditional peoples at the heart of environmental solutions

Studies show that ¼ of the world's population has no access to waste collection, creating environmental and social problems. Climate change calls for urgent implementation of circular economy models and payment for ecosystem services to traditional communities. Issues and possible solutions to these questions were debated by representatives of civil society and scientific institutions at a meeting held in April by the Environmental and Climate Sustainability Working Group at the headquarters of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), in Brasília/DF.

The idea of a circular economy represents a break from the linear economic model, based on the extract-transform-discard dynamic, to a new model in which the reduction-reuse-reintroduction scheme is efficiently prioritized along the production chain. This reduces the pressure on natural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, waste, waste generation, and pollution. 

This was one of the themes that guided the debates at a meeting organized by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change in April with civil society representatives. At the meeting, a data presentation was shared showing that ¼ of the world's population has no access to waste collection, creating a major environmental and social problem on the planet. Improving waste management, on a path towards the effective implementation of circular economy models by 2050, could generate a net profit of 108 billion dollars worldwide.

Here are some contributions from civil society representatives on the subject: 

"We need to work on the peculiarities and credits of each material, which are an important tool in this equation. To make the recycling chain worthwhile, we must encourage credits and payment for environmental services. 40% of waste pickers work with paper, the kilo of which is cheaper than bananas, and more than 50% work with plastic, so we need to act separately for each type of waste, diversify the work, and encourage the collection of more groups of materials.", Jessica Doumit, director of the Giro Institute

"Today, we have a huge impact caused by the poor durability and obsolescence of various products, especially electronics, which also has an environmental impact due to issues related to chemical waste. So my contribution is to think about some form of regulation regarding durability, repairability, collection, and proper disposal of electrical and electronic products." - Teresa Liporace, a researcher at PUC/Rio

Payments for Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are relevant benefits for society generated by ecosystems, in terms of maintaining, recovering or improving environmental conditions, which can be provision, support, regulation and/or cultural services. According to National Law 14.119, payment for these services is a "voluntary transaction whereby a payer of environmental services transfers financial resources or another form of remuneration to a provider of these services, under agreed conditions, in compliance with the relevant legal provisions".

During the meeting, Brazilian examples of programs that pay for these services were presented, such as the Water Conservancy Project, carried out in the state of Minas Gerais, and the Reforest Program, which takes place in the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. Faced with the presidency of the G20, Brasil is seeking to mobilize new resources at international level. 

Here are some contributions from representatives of civil society and research bodies on the subject: 

"I would like to raise with the G20 the priority of socio-environmental safeguards, and that public and private contracts for these payments provide for the conditions to safeguard the rights of traditional peoples and communities, ensuring that the resources are effectively reached by the providers, which are precisely these groups, including artisanal fishing services, which among other actions maintain the mangroves in the coastal zone, which are fundamental in the fight against climate change.", Letícia Canton, member of PainelMar

"I'm also bringing in the urban perspective, because cities should also be included in these environmental issues, the issue of urban and peri-urban agriculture. That all kinds of work, for example, green pockets, should also be considered in this group.", Rafael Porto, researcher at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa).

The meeting, which dealt with these issues and aimed to inform the discussions of the Environmental and Climate Sustainability Working Group throughout the year, took place at the headquarters of the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA), in Brasília/DF, in a hybrid model, mixing face-to-face participation with virtual registration. The meeting can be watched in its entirety on the YouTube channel of the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA), which is the coordinating ministry of the WG. 

Other hearings with civil society, on different topics, should continue on the agenda with the aim of strengthening social participation in the construction of proposals for themes that are the basis for discussion by the WG, which is also in dialogue with the Climate Change Mobilization Task Force and the G20 Bioeconomy Initiative. According to João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the MMA, the hope is that, as well as debating concepts, it will be possible to point out solutions and their implementation.