Osaka, 21 September 2025 At Expo 2025 in Osaka, government leaders, city representatives, businesses, and civil society joined UNEP, Global Environment Centre (GEC), and Osaka City to spotlight Japans world-leading progress on food waste reduction and to mobilize support for the upcoming Food Waste Breakthrough to be launched at COP30.
The event served as the closing ceremony of UNEPs interactive exhibit at Osaka Expo 2025. From 1621 September, the exhibit marked both International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies and the upcoming International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste , demonstrating how cleaner air and reducing food waste are closely interconnected. UNEP was represented by Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director, Industry & Economy Division, UNEP and Takehiro Nakamura, Head, UNEP International Environmental Technology Centre.
Food Waste: A Global Priority
One-third of all food produced is lost or wasted each year, costing more than USD 1 trillion and contributing to nearly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, including 14% of methane. Therefore, reducing food waste is one of the most powerful and underutilized solutions for climate, food security, and the economy.
Japan: The First Country to Meet SDG 12.3
Since 2000, Japan has reduced food waste by 53%, making it the only country in the world to have achieved SDG Target 12.3 (halving food waste). Success stems from strong measurement, cross-ministerial coordination, private-sector leadership, and citizen campaigns such as the Temaedori (taking items from the front) Campaign.
Manabu Suzuki, Director Food Waste and Recycling Management Office, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan, noted that Japans Mottainai (not wasting) culture and legally mandated food company reporting were keys: Private sector innovation, effective partnerships between the stakeholders, and consumer behavior change will be the engine of reduction of food loss and waste. Japan has now raised its ambition to a 60% reduction target in businesses.
Cities Driving Impact: Osaka and Yokohama
Cutting food waste saves money and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The City of Osaka aims to actively promote initiatives in collaboration with citizens, businesses, visitors to Osaka, and various related organizations." said Ms. Yuko Ihara, Director-General, Environment Bureau, Osaka City. Osaka has already surpassed its business-sector targetachieving a 62% cut compared to fiscal year 2000 by 2025. They have implemented initiatives such as Zero Food Waste Promotion Restaurants registration system and multilingual Leftover Takeaway Request Cards".
The City of Yokohama highlighted its SDGs Food Lockers, which offer discounted sales of unsold bread still within its best-before date, and reported a 63% reduction in food waste in fiscal year 2024 compared to 2000. 94 per cent of our citizens are now actively reducing food waste, said Mr. Yoto Eguchi, Executive director of Policy Coordination Department, Resources and Waste Recycling Bureau, Yokohama City, underscoring the importance of passing values like Mottainai (not wasting) and Itadakimasu (gratitude for food) to future generations.
Private Sector Leadership
FamilyMart reported a 30% reduction in food loss under its FamilyMart Environmental Vision 2050 and showcased its Teary-Eyed sticker, where discount stickers boosted near-expiry product sales by five percentage points, cutting waste by an estimated 3,000 tons annually. "An increasing number of consumers are choosing environmentally conscious options when making the same purchases, and companies are expected to respond to these shifts in consumer behavior," shared Mr. Hiroyuki Osawa, Director of the Sustainability Promotion Department, Marketing Division, FamilyMart.
Second Harvest Japan called for stronger support to increase food donations from companies, including tax incentives and financing models that link the surplus food utilization in food banking to carbon credits. We see millions of meals being discarded every year. By redirecting surplus, we can transform what was once waste into vital support for communities'" added Mr. Yuji Shibata, CEO, Second Harvest Japan (2HJ).
Towards COP30
The event built momentum for the Food Waste Breakthrough, a UNEP and UN Climate Champions-led global initiative to be launched at COP30, aiming to halve food waste and eliminate landfill disposal by 2030. With Japan, Brazil and the UAE confirmed as early champions, the initiative aims to cut global methane emissions by up to 7% by the end of the decade.
A Call to Action
Closing the event, Mr. Shinji Shimojo, President, Global Environment Centre stated, Japans experience shows what is possible. The spirit of mottainai is not only a unique Japanese value but a global pathway to a sustainable, decarbonized future and called for action on a global scale.
