Our Urban Future Webinar Series
- Date: Monday, June 29, 2026 | 10:00–11:15 a.m. CEST
- Format: Virtual
- Register here
Overview of the Event
Cities consume more than 70% of all food produced globally, yet urban food systems face mounting pressures: food insecurity, unhealthy diets, and food waste that strains natural resources, accelerates emissions, and widens inequalities. According to the UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024, an estimated 1.05 billion tonnes of food went to waste in 2022, equivalent to 19% of the world’s available food supply, while 783 million people continued to suffer from hunger. Food loss and waste account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and generate USD 1 trillion in annual economic losses. As urban populations continue to expand, particularly across Africa and Asia, the resilience of urban food systems is becoming a defining factor for sustainable development, climate mitigation, and social equity.
This fourth session in the Our Urban Future series, co-organized by UNEP and the City Diplomacy Lab, brings together city representatives from London, Dar es Salaam, and Dubai to explore how cities can accelerate food waste prevention and reduction as a lever toward more circular, equitable, and resilient food systems. Drawing from UNEP’s work under the Food Waste Breakthrough initiative, launched at COP30 in Brazil, the session examines three key areas: food waste prevention through policy instruments, behavioral change, and improved measurement; circular food system practices, including composting, nutrient loops, and regenerative production models; and data and governance frameworks that enable coherent, multi-level local action.
The session is structured around two rounds of exchange. In the first, city representatives will present a concrete practice or policy from their context, offering a ground-level window into approaches ranging from food waste measurement and surplus redistribution to circular organic-waste strategies and equitable access to nutritious diets. In the second round, each representative will share their city’s strategic vision, opening a focused conversation on the directions cities intend to pursue in food system transformation. The session closes with an open Q&A, welcoming questions from online participants.
Draft Agenda
Opening session
- Clementine O’Connor, Sustainable Food Systems Programme Manager, UNEP
- Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Founding Director, City Diplomacy Lab
Panel Discussion
- Rachel Shairp, Senior Advisor, Food and Packaging Lead, ReLondon
- Geophrey Zenda, Principal Environmental Health Officer, Waste Management and Sanitation Unit, Dar Es Salaam City Council
- Dubai‘s Representative
Q&A
Overview of the Series
This session is part of the Our Urban Future webinar series, convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the City Diplomacy Lab.
The series explores how locally grounded climate action can be accelerated through inclusive governance, more agile and accessible financing, and partnerships that connect global objectives with municipal realities.
Explore past sessions in the series:
- Driving Change in Urban Mobility: How Digitalization Is Accelerating Low-Carbon Transport Across Cities (February 26, 2026)
- Delivering Local Climate Action: Insights from COP30 (December 1, 2025)