CCAP and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Launch the Recycle Organics-Caribbean Program

CCAP will provide technical assistance to support Belize, Grenada, Guyana and St. Lucia in reducing GHG emissions within the waste sector

WASHINGTON, D.C. – CCAP is pleased to announce that it will be partnering with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) for the new Recycle Organics-Caribbean program. The project will build on the existing Reciclo Orgánicos-Latin America program —which supports six countries throughout the region — to support an additional four Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to reduce methane emissions within the waste sector over a four-year period. The countries involved in this project are Belize, Grenada, Guyana and St. Lucia.

“CCAP is honored to have the opportunity to help these countries achieve their climate goals through our continued work in the waste sector,” said CCAP Executive Director Allison Bender-Corbett. “The initial Reciclo Orgánicos program that took place in Chile was a huge success, and we hope to build off of that momentum and extend the benefits of reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions to more countries within the LAC region, with a particular focus on SIDS that are typically hit the hardest by the effects of climate change.”

CCAP, along with its implementation partner ImplementaSur, will provide technical assistance and develop a pipeline of the projects within the municipal solid waste sector (MSW), while helping countries overcome regulatory barriers and creating enabling frameworks for project execution. The goal is to facilitate conditions for a sustained expansion of organic waste management technologies and accelerate methane mitigation projects that bring significant environmental, economic and social benefits to these countries.

“Canada is pleased to partner with the Global Methane Hub and the Center for Clean Air Policy to help Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean to reduce methane emissions,” said the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change. “Our commitment to SIDS will provide new tools and mechanisms to help governments, civil society and private sector actors build the capacity to improve waste management systems that will support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Cutting methane emissions is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to combat climate change.”

ECCC has committed to investing CAD$4 million into the program, which aims to reduce the emission of gases such as methane that are harmful to the atmosphere, specifically those from the decomposition of organic matter in landfills. According to the World Bank, each year 2.12 billion tons of waste is generated. Methane is a super pollutant, whose impact is 86 times greater than CO2 over a 20-year period. Even though it is responsible for half of today's net global warming, methane receives only 2% of global climate finance.

ECCC also funded the original Reciclo Orgánicos Program in Chile that took place from 2017-2022. The effort resulted in a national organic waste strategy as well as 15 composting plants, two bio-digestion initiatives and five gas capture initiatives in Chile and is expected to reduce 9.5 million tons of CO2 by 2040.

The new Recycle Organics-Caribbean program seeks to reduce the amount of organic waste disposed of in landfills through the optimization of waste management processes at the local level. Opportunities to reduce GHG emissions exist through the implementation of composting plants, anaerobic digesters and the capture of gas from landfills.

"To work with ECCC and CCAP in expanding methane mitigation in the waste sector around Latin America is a large but exciting challenge for ImplementaSur,” added ImplementaSur Director Gerardo Canales. “The experience gained through the Reciclo Orgánicos-Chile program has proven that multiple benefits can be achieved by countries when the climate perspective is introduced to waste management practices and policies. We very much look forward to adding more countries to this trend and transforming waste management practices in LAC to be aligned with our most ambitious climate goals for the sector.”

The project is aimed to kick off in 2023 with the introduction of challenges and opportunities related to reducing methane emissions within specific countries’ waste sectors through in-person workshops and subsequent engagement across a regional platform.

CCAP’s Climate Action program currently focuses on methane mitigation in the waste sector. The overarching goal of the program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the waste sector by advancing policies, programs and projects that contribute to sustainable waste management.

In the past, CCAP led the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Latin American Regional Waste City Network—a network of 24 of the largest cities in the region to build the capacity of waste stakeholders at the municipal level—to provide a forum for participants to share best practices and learn from others in the region and help cities prioritize MSW actions and measures.

CCAP is also supporting the development of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector in Peru. The goal of the NAMA is to reimagine Peru’s waste sector from a system that relies on landfills to one that introduces circular economy concepts and strives to capture methane emissions and convert them to useable energy. The Peru project is one of five that has been selected to go forward in the DPP, from an original application pool of 57 projects worldwide. To learn more, check out this recent blog.

About the ECCC Environment and Climate Change Canada is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for coordinating environmental policies and programs, as well as preserving and enhancing the natural environment and renewable resources. The ECCC informs Canadians about protecting and conserving their natural heritage, and ensuring a clean, safe and sustainable environment for present and future generations.

About ImplementaSur

ImplementaSur designs and implements sustainable and resilient practices in mitigation and adaptation to climate change. From a systemic vision, the organization transforms the challenges of climate change into an opportunity to create value. ImplementaSur also led the design and implementation for the initial Reciclo Orgánicos program.

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CCAP’s mission is to support every step of climate action, from ambition to implementation. A recognized world leader in climate policy and action, CCAP creates innovative, replicable climate solutions, strengthens capacities, and promotes best practices across the local, national, and international levels to accelerate the transition to a net-zero, climate resilient future. CCAP was founded in 1985 and is based in Washington, DC.