As COP31 comes to Turkey, satellites reveal a landfill methane problem
Satellite data found 70 methane plumes at 10 Turkish waste sites, highlighting gaps in landfill gas capture as Turkey prepares to host COP31.
- On Monday, the 31st Conference of the Parties began in Antalya, Turkey, as satellite observations exposed major methane plumes at waste sites, including a landfill near Istanbul ranking among the world's largest emitters.
- Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles identified 70 methane plumes across Turkey's 10 highest-emitting waste sites using Tanager-1 satellite data from January 2025 through May 2026, with the Seymen landfill near Istanbul averaging 7.4 metric tons per hour.
- Municipal operator ISTAC disputed the satellite findings, citing about 30 hectares left uncovered during pipe maintenance and low atmospheric pressure on the measurement day; Turkey remains the world's fifth-largest methane emitter from waste and has not joined the Global Methane Pledge .
- Delegates at the Antalya summit are debating a core COP31 presidency goal to electrify 35% of global energy consumption by 2035, aiming to reduce fossil fuel reliance and slow climate change through accelerated renewable adoption.
- Civil society groups raised concerns that 'public morality' clauses in the Host Country Agreement governing COP31 could restrict free speech and deter independent oversight, with critics warning participants may face self-censorship during the Antalya talks.
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268 Articles
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