Methane matters - A roadmap for the waste sector

CCAC and CCAC Waste Hub member GAIA invite you to join this webinar to learn about the roadmap to reduce methane emissions in the solid waste sector and share experiences of what cities are doing around the world.

As the climate emergency accelerates, efforts to avoid exceeding the 1.5C temperature goal must be reinforced urgently. Methane is a very potent but short-lived gas, responsible for about half of the warming we experience today, and tackling it represents a low-hanging fruit for reducing climate change emissions in the near term.

The new report, Methane Matters: A comprehensive approach to methane mitigation by GAIA, Changing Markets Foundation and Environmental Investigation Agency outlined that methane emissions in the solid waste sector can be cut by as much as 95% by 2030 through low cost, scalable and easy to implement measures focused on waste prevention and the separation and treatment of organic waste.

These measures are already well advanced in many cities with very diverse contexts. The webinar will share a glimpse of different models and policies being implemented by cities in the Global North and Global South.

Agenda

• Opening remarks: Sandra Mazo-Nix, CCAC Waste Hub Coordinator
• Presentations:
  • Main findings of the report Methane Matters: A comprehensive approach to methane mitigation for the waste sector - Neil Tangri, GAIA
  • Methane mitigation in the waste sector: Strategies in Europe - Enzo Favoino
  • Leading the way in organic waste management, San Francisco city - Jack Macy
  • Waste picker led organic waste management system: SWaCH cooperative in Pune, India - Alok Gogate
• Q&A
• Closing remarks:
  • Neil Tangri, GAIA
  • Sandra Mazo-Nix, CCAC

Speakers

• Dr. Neil Tangri, Science and Policy Director, GAIA - A climate scientist by training, Neil Tangri has more than two decades' experience working on international environmental policy, climate and development finance, and environmental justice issues. Neil has a captain's license from the U.S. Coast Guard and a Ph.D. from Stanford University.
• Enzo Favoino, Chair of Scientific Committee at Zero Waste Europe - Enzo works at Scuola Agraria del Parco di Monza, a Research & Technical Development Center with a prominent role in promoting separate collection and sustainable management of discards around Europe. He provides support to local authorities, national governments and agencies, and International Organizations (including the EU) in defining zero waste strategies and policies. He was a co-founder of ECN – European Compost Network and is a former Chair of the WG on Biological Treatment at ISWA.
• Jack Macy, Zero Waste Program Manager at SF Environment, City and County of San Francisco - Jack has more than 25 years experience in developing and implementing composting, recycling and other zero waste policies and programs at the US state and local level. He helped lead the development and implementation of San Francisco’s internationally recognized, and the first U.S. large-scale urban commercial and residential food composting program. He helps lead San Francisco's efforts in implementing new zero waste policies, programs and technologies. Jack wrote and helped pass a landmark Mandatory Recycling and Composting legislation that requires everyone in San Francisco and California to separate recyclables and compostables from trash to landfill. Jack serves on the Board of the California Organics Recycling Council.

• Amogh Bhongale, Outreach and Communication, SWaCH Cooperative Pune, India - Amogh is an engineer and a graduate in Media and Cultural Studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. He works with SWaCH Cooperative Pune to underline the relentless efforts and resilience of waste pickers. He is involved in crafting communication strategies for SWaCH outreach. Amogh helps in establishing communication channels for people to be aware of waste management and he recently completed a communications fellowship by GAIA and BFFP for communication officers working in south asia.  Amogh aims to bring a behavioural change to make our cities sustainably liveable.

Recording: Methane matters - A roadmap for the waste sector  passcode: WpGmsMV2

Resources:

• Methane matters: a comprehensive approach to methane mitigation - GAIA, Changing Markets Foundation and Environmental Investigation Agency, 2022.
• Seven key solutions to landfill methane -  GAIA, 2021
• Back to earth: composting for various contexts - GAIA, 2021.
• Reducing food waste at the local level: guidance for municipalities to reduce food waste within local food systems - Zero Waste Europe and Slow Food, 2022.
• Organic waste resources - https://www.waste.ccacoalition.org/document?f%5B0%5D=area%3A1120