As COP31 comes to Turkey, satellites reveal a landfill methane problem
UCLA researchers detected 70 methane plumes from Turkey’s top 10 waste sites, with the Seymen landfill near Istanbul among the world’s largest emitters.
- Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles released satellite data on November 7 identifying 70 methane plumes at Turkey's top 10 waste sites, with findings emerging days before COP31 begins in Antalya on November 9.
- Turkey ranks as the world's 5th-biggest methane emitter from solid waste, with emissions rising nearly 25% to around 21 million tons over the last decade, yet the nation has not joined the Global Methane Pledge .
- The Seymen landfill serving Istanbul's 16 million residents emits about 7.4 tons of methane hourly according to satellite data, though municipal operator ISTAC disputes the figures, citing temporary maintenance work and low atmospheric pressure.
- Defending its waste record, the Environment Ministry reported a national 'recovery rate' of 37.53% in 2025, up from 13% in 2017, and argued satellite measurements lack continuous data needed for accurate annual reporting.
- Carbon Mapper experts identified 'huge mitigation potential' at Turkey's largest landfills, suggesting better-designed collection systems and repairs to cracked covers could deliver disproportionate emissions reductions across the nation.
51 Articles
51 Articles
As COP31 comes to Turkiye, satellites reveal a landfill methane problem
Methane is the biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide (CO2) and is over 80 times more potent than CO2 in its first 20 years in the air. Sharp cuts could therefore slow warming relatively quickly
A landfill near Istanbul generates electricity from captured waste gas, yet satellites detect methane escaping at about 7.4 tons an hour on average, new reporting finds as Turkey prepares to host COP31
The great mountain of domestic refuse outside Istanbul is doing more than just being the last stop for the rubbish of the Turkish city.
COP31 confronts its hosts with its fossil dependence: Amnesty International demands coherence from Turkey and Australia as the pending funding tests decades of climate commitments. COP31 exposes the fossil contradiction that threatens the credibility of the summits: governments called to lead the climate response continue to support activities that fuel warming. Turkey will host the conference and Australia will conduct the negotiations under th…
Amnesty urges action on Turkey’s rights record before COP31 - Stockholm Center for Freedom
Amnesty International has urged Germany and the international community to raise Turkey’s human rights record at the highest political level before and during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), which opens Monday in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. The human rights organization accused the Turkish government of intensifying a systematic campaign against independent voices, […]
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources lean Right
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
