Umar Zahoor

Job title:

Research Fellow

Area of work and how it relates to COP30:

I lead research focused on developing sustainable strategies for the utilisation of agri-food waste, side streams, and industrial by-products, with particular emphasis on food hydrocolloids derived from biorefinery residues and the side streams of fruit and vegetable processing. My work explores how these underutilised resources can be transformed into bioactive ingredients and nutraceuticals through advanced and sustainable food processing technologies. This research reduces food waste and greenhouse gas emissions across agri-food supply chains and underpins the development of circular, climate-smart food systems that integrate sustainability, resource efficiency, and nutritional innovation.

What are the big issues that COP30 needs to address? What are your hopes for the negotiations?

COP30 must drive the transformation of global food systems to make them sustainable, equitable, and climate resilient. The agri-food sector generates substantial greenhouse gas emissions, yet it also offers immense opportunities for innovation and mitigation. I hope COP30 will strengthen global commitments by embedding circular economy principles within national climate strategies and by prioritising the valorisation of food and agricultural waste. The negotiations must translate ambition into implementation through science-led, measurable actions that connect researchers, policymakers, and industry. I hope that through decisive and collaborative action, world leaders will shape food systems that safeguard the environment, enhance resilience, and secure sustainable nutrition for future generations.

What's your message for world leaders at COP30?

I urge world leaders to turn sustainability goals into decisive action. The knowledge and technologies needed to build a resilient planet already exist; what is required now is the political will and long-term investment to scale them.

Do you have any tips about climate action that you can share?

Effective climate action starts with rethinking how food is produced, processed, and consumed. Minimising food losses and food waste along the supply chain, sourcing ingredients sustainably, and advancing circular innovations are key strategies to lower the environmental footprint of food systems. As both a major emitter and a potential mitigator, the food sector plays a pivotal role in addressing climate change. Enhancing resource efficiency and circularity in food production can drive measurable progress towards a sustainable and low-carbon future.