The establishment of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board of Eminent Persons on Zero Waste (the Advisory Board on Zero Waste) was announced by the Secretary-General at the High-Level Meeting on the Role of Zero Waste as a Transformative Solution in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, held during the General Assembly on 30 March 2023. The Advisory Board was established for a period of three years. The 12 members that constitute the Advisory Board are to promote local and national zero-waste initiatives through awareness-raising, promotion of local and national zero-waste initiatives, and dissemination of best practices and success stories towards implementation of United Nations General Assembly resolution 77/161.
UN-Habitat and UNEP are the Secretariat for the Advisory Board. Under-Secretary-General for Policy Guy Ryder acts as ex-officio representative for the UN Secretary-General.
In response to the UN Secretary-General’s call for transformative waste action, the Advisory Board on Zero Waste highlights 20 cities advancing towards zero waste. These cities demonstrate leadership through innovation, inclusiveness and integrated approaches to sustainability – offering practical examples that can inspire and be adapted by others.
The platform also features zero waste good practices, thematic briefs, case studies, technical manuals, webinar, news, stories, and other resources.