FORUM: ''From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.'' United Nations World Cleanup Day 2026. This year’s global observance will focus on food waste, one of the largest and most preventable waste streams affecting cities and communities worldwide. It was estimated that1.1B people live in informal settlements, monitored that between 8–10% of global GHG emissions are from food waste, and about 1B+meals are wasted daily Every day, more than 1 billion meals are wasted globally, while millions of people continue to face hunger and lack basic services. Food waste places enormous pressure on waste systems, contributes to climate change, wastes land and water resources, and represents a missed opportunity to build more resilient and equitable systems. During this observance we will focus on the urgent need to: Raise awareness and encourage everyday habits that reduce waste; to Promote responsible production, purchasing and consumption practices; to Strengthen local food recovery, organic waste and circular economy systems; to Advance partnerships and policies that support resilient and resource-efficient cities and to Encourage waste separation, redistribution, composting and recovery of organic waste. What’s your go-to habit for wasting less food at home?.This year, we will Showcase #innovativepolicies, technologies and partnerships that #accelerateaction on #foodwasteprevention, #circulareconomy & #sustainableurbandevelopment.
Food waste fuels the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Food loss and waste account for an estimated 8-10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and food waste alone contributes significantly to methane emissions from disposal sites. These impacts are felt most acutely in cities, where inadequate waste management and growing volumes of waste place additional pressure on urban infrastructure and public health. For the more than 1.1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums, the consequences are particularly severe, increasing exposure to pollution, disease, flooding and other climate-related risks. Addressing food waste is therefore not only an environmental imperative but also an important step towards building healthier, more resilient and more equitable cities. By reducing food waste, World Cleanup Day supports progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and more circular and resilient urban food systems. Get the agenda programme!
Excellencies, distinguished participants, it is my great honor to address the global observance of the world clean update 2026.
Today we focused on vital road of the cities and citizens in tackling west challenges and advancing the transition towards a circular economy.
I thank the government of China our host city of Shiaoing UN Habitat and all partners for bringing us together around an issue so fundamental to protecting and sustaining our planet's ecosystems.
We meet at a critical moment. With only four years remaining until 2030, the global community faces profound sustainable development challenges. According to the latest 2026 SDG progress report, progress remains deeply uneven across the goals and among countries, severely hampered by compounding shocks, interconnected crisis and escalating conflicts.
In addition, unmet financing targets risk putting many SDGs targets beyond reach. Yet, if there is one lesson from the first decade of implementing the 2030 agenda, it is these challenges are not merely problems to be managed.
They are catalysts to transform. They demand a fundamental transformation which will reshape our societies, our economies and our relationship with the planet. This transformation will not happen in isolation. It requires the underlying commitment, creativity and the leadership of the governments, international organizations, development banks, the private sector, academia, civil society, youth representatives, and many others around the world.
The theme of this year's water cleanup day, from clean plate to clean city, highlights a critical entry point for real progress. Transitioning to a circular society, allows us to build a sustainable model that harmonizes economic growth with environmental stewardship. Excellencies, my department, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, is deeply honored to lead and coordinate many of these efforts, working closely with the broader UN system and partners worldwide.
Together, we can forge a future where the resources are valued rather than discarded, where the waste is eliminated by design, and where our economies and ecosystems shrived together.
By leveraging digital innovation, artificial intelligence and a smart urban infrastructure, we can build clean, green and resilient cities. Let elevate the quality of life for all people. Let us act with ambition, solidarity and determination this moment demands. We are working to ensure that the 2030 agenda delivers meaningful lasting change for present and future generations.
Statement by the UN-Habitat Executive Director on World Cleanup Day 2026.
Around 1/3 of all food produced globally is lost or wasted. Food loss and waste account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, placing immense pressure on [music] our climate, natural resources, and municipal waste systems. As we mark World Cleanup Day 2026, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the city of Shiaoeng for hosting this year's global observance. I commend the leadership in advancing practical solutions, demonstrating how cities can drive innovation, collaboration, and collective action towards more sustainable urban futures.
I also want to recognize the extraordinary World Cleanup Day Movement. Last year alone, around 25 million volunteers in more than 190 countries and territories came together to clean their [music] communities, demonstrating the power of collective action. This year's theme, from clean plates to clean cities, reminds us that the journey to sustainable cities starts at home. The choices we make in our [music] kitchens and communities shape the way our cities function. Young people, community groups, and citizens are leading this transformation through everyday actions that inspire change. At UN Habitat, we see waste as part of a larger urban ecosystem. Waste is reduced when cities are well planned, when essential services are accessible, and when communities are actively engaged. Yet too many people, particularly 1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums, still lack regular waste collection and basic services. Addressing the global housing crisis and improving access to basic services and resilient infrastructure are essential to building cleaner, healthier, and more inclusive cities.
City governments are at the forefront of action. They design [music] and oversee waste management, regulate services, and work directly with communities. National governments play a critical role in [music] creating policies, incentives, and investments needed to scale solutions. Equally important is cooperation across cities and regions.
Networks of cities can accelerate progress by sharing solutions, [music] scaling innovation, and learning from one another. This is why bringing cities together to exchange knowledge, strengthen capacity, and support the development of solutions for waste management and the circular economy [music] is important. We already see inspiring examples. Cities are recovering surplus food, reducing waste, and turning organic waste into compost and energy. Communities, including informal workers, waste pickers, and local entrepreneurs, are leading innovations that create jobs while protecting the environment by keeping materials in use for longer, recovering valuable resources and [music] reducing waste as at its source. The secular economy helps cities cut emissions, strengthen resilience, and create new economic opportunities.
By acting at every level, from households to neighborhoods, cities and national policies, we can turn waste] into opportunity. Let us move from clean plates to clean cities, from awareness to action, embracing circular solutions that value resources rather than discard them. Building communities that are cleaner, healthier, [music] and more resilient for everyone.
Happy 9th World Cleanup Day 2026! A message to our global family.
TAKE ACTION: Simple habits to cut food waste at home.
Thank you.
United Nations Under Secretary General Li Shaoxing.
Statement by the UN-Habitat Executive Director on World Cleanup Day 2026.
I also want to recognize the extraordinary World Cleanup Day Movement. Last year alone, around 25 million volunteers in more than 190 countries and territories came together to clean their [music] communities, demonstrating the power of collective action. This year's theme, from clean plates to clean cities, reminds us that the journey to sustainable cities starts at home. The choices we make in our [music] kitchens and communities shape the way our cities function. Young people, community groups, and citizens are leading this transformation through everyday actions that inspire change. At UN Habitat, we see waste as part of a larger urban ecosystem. Waste is reduced when cities are well planned, when essential services are accessible, and when communities are actively engaged. Yet too many people, particularly 1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums, still lack regular waste collection and basic services. Addressing the global housing crisis and improving access to basic services and resilient infrastructure are essential to building cleaner, healthier, and more inclusive cities.
City governments are at the forefront of action. They design [music] and oversee waste management, regulate services, and work directly with communities. National governments play a critical role in [music] creating policies, incentives, and investments needed to scale solutions. Equally important is cooperation across cities and regions.
Networks of cities can accelerate progress by sharing solutions, [music] scaling innovation, and learning from one another. This is why bringing cities together to exchange knowledge, strengthen capacity, and support the development of solutions for waste management and the circular economy [music] is important. We already see inspiring examples. Cities are recovering surplus food, reducing waste, and turning organic waste into compost and energy. Communities, including informal workers, waste pickers, and local entrepreneurs, are leading innovations that create jobs while protecting the environment by keeping materials in use for longer, recovering valuable resources and [music] reducing waste as at its source. The secular economy helps cities cut emissions, strengthen resilience, and create new economic opportunities.
By acting at every level, from households to neighborhoods, cities and national policies, we can turn waste] into opportunity. Let us move from clean plates to clean cities, from awareness to action, embracing circular solutions that value resources rather than discard them. Building communities that are cleaner, healthier, [music] and more resilient for everyone.
UN-Habitat Executive Director.
Happy 9th World Cleanup Day 2026! A message to our global family.
TAKE ACTION: Simple habits to cut food waste at home.
GET INVOLVED!
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