Bringing African priorities and perspectives to COP30

Africa’s waste crisis is accelerating as urban populations grow and consumption patterns change, yet investment in waste systems remains fragmented and misaligned with local realities. The No Time to Waste report speaks directly to governments, development partners, financiers, and city practitioners, offering practical pathways to reshape how waste systems are planned, governed and funded. 

It underscores the urgency of creating financing models that reflect Africa’s unique waste profiles, fiscal constraints, and governance contexts, and provides actionable guidance to support cleaner, healthier and more resilient African cities.

Readers will find:

• Clear analysis of financing investment entry points across the waste value chain.
• Guidance on cost-recovery instruments, regulatory reforms, and aggregation models that African governments and their partners can use to attract and manage investment.
• Practical models for pooling finance and scaling smaller projects across cities and regions.
• Examples of policy and coordination mechanisms that enable small- and medium-sized cities to participate in regional and/ or national financing programmes.
• Insight into how financing models should reflect local waste conditions — such as composition, density, and calorific value — to ensure investments fit real market needs.
• Clarity on how investor risk can be reduced in areas with limited institutional capacity, such as weak oversight, a shortage of skilled waste professionals, or the absence of cost-reflective waste tariffs and tipping fees.

By linking local realities with financial and governance solutions, this report offers a roadmap for decision makers seeking to transform  Africa’s waste challenge into an opportunity for green jobs, cleaner environments, and inclusive urban growth.