Super Pollutant Newsletter: March 2026

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March was marked by several major developments in the super pollutant agenda, including the release of the Angera Declaration on Methane Action by over 250 leading scientists, the Better Air Quality Conference 2026 in Bangkok, and the International Day of Zero Waste on March 30.

 

Angera Declaration on Methane Action

The Angera Declaration for Methane Action, signed by over 250 scientists at the Methane Action for People & Planet conference marking 250 years since Alessandro Volta's discovery of methane, calls on decision-makers to accelerate methane emission reductions through a 10-point plan focused on proven solutions, stronger monitoring, increased financing, and international cooperation.

Read the declaration here

 

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The International Day of Zero Waste on 30 March was a moment to call for taking action to address the global waste pollution crisis.

This year, the spotlight was on food waste, one of the most urgent and solvable environmental challenges of our time.

Food waste exacerbates food insecurity and weakens resilience at a time of global instability. At the same time, food waste is a powerful driver of climate change, accounting for up to 14% of global methane emissions. Reducing it is one of the most effective and achievable climate actions we can take.

In 2022, while 783 million people faced hunger worldwide, 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted – nearly 19% of food available to consumers.

Check out solutions to tackle organic waste.

Reducing methane emissions from landfills

Heijo Scharff, Lead Author of the latest CCAC-TEAP Report on Reducing methane emissions from landfills: the potential of biocover systems, outlines how simple, relatively affordable and locally adaptable solutions like biocovers can effectively mitigate landfill methane emissions in a new blog post.

Tools & Guidance You Can Use Now

Methane is inherently linked to air pollution as the primary precursor for tropospheric ozone. Reducing methane emissions is one of the most effective ways to lower background ozone concentrations.

Integrating methane mitigation into the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol, currently under negotiation, could therefore benefit air quality, public health, ecosystems, and the climate.

Read the briefing by the CCAC Scientific Advisory Panel, which elaborates how methane is currently addressed at the global level, analyses various options for integrating methane mitigation into the Gothenburg Protocol and discusses linkages with methane action in other international forums.

Better Air Quality Conference 2026

Held on 11–13 March 2026, BAQ 2026 emphasised that while solutions to reduce air pollution already exist, stronger systems are needed to implement them at scale. The conference also reflected a growing shift in framing air quality as a development, health, and investment priority, rather than solely an environmental issue.

Read daily updates from the conference here

Launched at BAQ 2026:

CCAC NGOs Partner Strategy Exchange Call

NGO partners met on 4 March 2026 to align advocacy priorities and strengthen collaboration. Read the recap of the first CCAC NGO Partners Strategy Exchange, including key takeaways and next steps.

Africa Clean Air Forum 2026

 

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The deadline for abstract submissions to the Africa Clean Air Forum has been extended to 11:59 PM SAST on April 5th, 2026.

The Women Behind the Fastest Climate and Clean Air Wins

To mark International Women's Day on March 8, the CCAC asked partners and implementers across the climate and clean air community to share a little about their work tackling super pollutants. The profiles below highlight their experiences, insights, and the vital role they play in advancing action on super pollutants.

Read the blog post

More Community Updates

End Plastic Pollution hosted representatives from the Masuulita Students Community in preparation for the upcoming Youth Zero Waste Training 2.0, where they will educate and mentor a new cohort of #Youth4ZeroWaste participants. Through the training, young people will learn the core principles of zero waste and gain practical, actionable skills to help reduce waste in their communities.

 

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Data, Dirt, and Decentralization: A Data Scientist's Journey into Ethiopia's BSF Frontier explores the technical realities of BSF farming in Ethiopia with Abraham Eshetie.

Discover how Santiago's electric bus fleet became a landmark clean air success story and what it means for the future of zero-emission transport across Latin America.

Hear from Hercules at INMETRO on how Brazil's landmark energy labeling program is setting the standard for cooling efficiency in Latin America.

Chad has taken a landmark step in its climate fight with a new national initiative tackling methane, air pollution, and short-lived climate pollutants with support from CCAC, SEI, and UN-Habitat.

Two new pilot projects in Vietnam and Cambodia, launched by FAO and the CCAC, aim to strengthen methane monitoring in rice production, boosting data accuracy and helping the countries meet climate transparency commitments.

EPIC has launched its open call for proposals to expand local air monitoring. The Fund is offering $50,000–$75,000 to at least 20 selected groups, including government entities, non-profits, universities, and for-profit groups, over an 18-month period. Apply by April 30

Country Spotlight: Uganda

 

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The FLOWERS project, winner of the CCAC Food & Nutrition Challenge, works to formalize and scale informal organic waste supply chains connecting Kampala's restaurants, traders, and smallholder farmers. It maps waste flows and pilots treatment technologies like composting and Black Soldier Fly farming to turn urban waste into soil amendments and livestock feed. A key goal is partnering with the Ugandan government to recognize a restaurant "booking" system as a scalable, low-emission organic waste reuse strategy.

Read more:

 

Spotlight of the Month: Super Pollutant Gossip - Methane, 250 Years Since Discovery

From the CCAC Scientific Advisory Panel

In Search of a Global Approach to Air Pollution: Some Legal Reflections on the Role of the SDGs Co-authored by SAP member Yulia Yamineva

This article investigates if and how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fill the current legal and regulatory gap, and whether they can contribute to problem-solving.  

The SDGs do not have a separate goal that covers addressing poor air quality in its scope; however, they include several targets and indicators specific to the problem. 

 

Assessing aerosol radiative forcing and atmospheric absorption over south Asia: A multi-model intercomparison study Co-authored by SAP member Chandra Venkataraman

The study explores how tiny particles in the air, known as aerosols, impact the climate over South Asia. These particles come from sources like factories, cars, and fires, and they can either cool or warm the atmosphere.   

The study found that aerosols mainly cool the region by reflecting sunlight back into space and making clouds more reflective.

 

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