Mitigation Potential of Super-Emitting Landfills in Brazil

Methane emissions from municipal solid waste disposal present a significant methane mitigation opportunity in Brazil. At COP30, Brazil’s Ministério do Meio Ambiente e Mudanças Climáticas (MMA, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change) announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind national initiative to detect and mitigate methane super-emitters from the landfills and dumpsites in the country. Supported by CATF, Carbon Mapper, and local partners, the initiative will use satellite data to help identify high-emitting waste sites and target mitigation. 

To build the evidence base for a national waste super-emitter initiative, CATF commissioned Carbon Limits to assess the scale and cost of reducing methane emissions from these sites using satellite observations and site-level data. The study reveals that over half of methane emissions observed by satellites can be reduced at low cost. It highlights the value of a super-emitter initiative to reveal overlooked mitigation opportunities, guide mitigation actions, and strengthen transparency and accountability.