About
GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) is an international environmental justice network of more than 1,000 member organizations across 100 countries. Headquartered in Berkeley, California, GAIA works to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution. In the United States it operates as GAIA USA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 45-3543427); the network also includes registered nonprofits GAIA Philippines and Zero Waste Europe.
Mission
GAIA's mission is to catalyze a global shift towards environmental justice by strengthening grassroots social movements that advance solutions to waste and pollution.
What they do
GAIA works across four primary intervention areas, supporting local campaigns, policy change, research, and movement building:
- Preventing and eliminating waste incineration
- Building zero waste systems in cities and communities
- Fighting plastic pollution, including work on international plastics policy
- Advancing climate justice, including work on renewable energy storage and battery waste
The alliance produces policy briefings, reports, case studies, and practical guidance on waste management, including analysis of plastics treaty negotiations, financing mechanisms for zero waste systems, and organic waste management case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. GAIA also distributes 2.6 million dollars annually to member organizations.
History
GAIA was founded in 2000 with an inaugural meeting of 83 participants from 23 countries.
Scale and impact
According to GAIA, the network today counts more than 1,000 member organizations in 100 countries, organized across five regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and United States and Canada. The organization reports that more than 122 million people live in cities with zero waste commitments, that more than 375 incinerators have been prevented or shut down, that hundreds of Zero Waste City commitments have been secured, and that 14 movement-building alliances have been formed.
Financials
Per its IRS filings summarized on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, GAIA (Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives) reported total revenue of 8,241,301 dollars and total expenses of 8,360,518 dollars in fiscal year 2025, with net assets of 3,685,186 dollars. In fiscal year 2024 it reported revenue of 8,198,153 dollars and expenses of 9,310,426 dollars. Approximately 99 percent of revenue comes from contributions. Its US tax exemption was issued in March 2014.
Governance
GAIA uses a distributed leadership model reflecting its five regions, with regional directors representing each area and an emphasis on transparency, accountability, and horizontal alignment in decision-making. Its advisory board includes 43 members from 27 countries. Christie Keith serves as Executive Director, per the organization's fiscal 2025 IRS filing summarized on ProPublica.