As COP31 comes to Turkey, satellites reveal a landfill methane problem

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day, reviewed by our editorial team. Read the full piece on The Straits Times or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Satellite observations have identified Turkey's Seymen landfill, west of Istanbul, as one of the world's largest recorded methane emitters, despite an existing gas capture and electricity generation facility
• The findings highlight a significant waste-sector emissions challenge as Türkiye hosts COP31 and promotes methane reduction as a climate priority

🔭 The context: Researchers at UCLA analysed Carbon Mapper satellite observations from January 2025 to May 2026, identifying 70 methane plumes across Turkey's ten highest-emitting waste sites
• Seymen averaged approximately 7.4 tonnes of methane an hour in detected emissions
• The landfill receives around 8,500 tonnes of household waste daily and captures gas for electricity production, but officials dispute whether satellite observations represent continuous emissions
• Turkey's waste methane emissions increased nearly 25% between 2014 and 2024, compared with a 6.5% global increase

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Methane is more than 80 times as potent as CO₂ over its first 20 years in the atmosphere, making rapid reductions particularly valuable for slowing near-term warming
• Improving landfill gas capture, repairing infrastructure and diverting organic waste could deliver substantial climate benefits while reducing local environmental nuisances

⏭️ What’s next: Experts recommend prioritising the largest emitting landfills, improving collection systems and diverting organic waste before disposal
• Türkiye could also join the Global Methane Pledge during COP31, although participation alone would not guarantee implementation
• Stronger regulation and effective monitoring will be essential to translate commitments into actual emissions reductions

💬 One quote: “There is this huge mitigation potential by just addressing the largest landfills to reduce their national emissions,” - Tia Scarpelli, waste sector lead at Carbon Mapper

📈 One stat: Seymen's average detected methane emissions reached approximately 7.4 tonnes per hour, placing the landfill among the world's most significant observed waste-sector methane sources.

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