CCAP has partnered with CCAC and ImplementaSur to develop Togo’s National Waste Management Roadmap and Action Plan for Lomé
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) is partnering with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and ImplementaSur to support Togo’s Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources in developing a Waste Management Roadmap, under the Recycle Organics program. The Roadmap will outline distinct climate actions to support Togo in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) from its waste sector in line with the country’s existing national policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the capital city of Lomé.
Additionally, CCAP and ImplementaSur will assist in updating and adapting the existing CCAC Waste Management Action Plan for the city and provide clear and actionable steps, as well as recommended mitigation measures to reduce SLCPs from Lomé’s waste sector.
Both Lomé's city-level Action Plan and Togo´s national-level Roadmap will be complementary to one another so that the work at the national level aligns with the city project’s objectives and activities.
“Working alongside CCAC and ImplementaSur, we have a strong track record in helping countries and municipalities around the world to reduce emissions from the waste sector, and it is a privilege to partner once again with these innovative organizations,” said CCAP Methane Mitigation Program Manager Brooks Shaffer. “The Recycle Organics program continues to grow and expand across the globe, and we’re thrilled to bring our methane mitigation and SLCPs expertise to Togo, working both at the city and at the national level—this dynamic is really what makes our work unique and fulfilling as a climate policy think tank.”
Waste generation per capita will keep increasing around the world with population and rapid urbanization. As the organic fraction of waste—such as food residues, yard trimmings, paper or wood—decomposes in landfills or dumpsites, it generates large amounts of emissions and SLCPs that lower air quality and heavily contribute to the warming of our planet.
SLCPs have a stronger warming effect than carbon dioxide, so reducing these pollutants is beneficial to mitigating near-term warming and can be very cost-effective. Actions taken in the immediate future to address them could slow the planet’s warming by about a half a degree by 2050. Furthermore, these harmful gases can be captured and converted into biogas, which is a form of renewable energy that can be used to support local economies and help phase out fossil fuels. Among the most potent SLCPs in which these projects will address include black carbon, methane and tropospheric ozone.
The Recycle Organics program currently supports 14 developing countries and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) around the world, accelerating mitigation projects in the waste sector to bring them closer to reaching their climate goals. The Program creates a sustainable expansion of waste management technologies and develops a community of practice within the regions it supports.
The projects in Togo will begin in 2023 and run through 2026. In Lomé, CCAP and ImplementaSur will be collecting waste-related data to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the city’s waste sector. The team will be building on Lomé’s current action plan with steps for its waste sector to reduce emissions and preserve human health through efficient and sustainable management of solid household waste.
CCAP and ImplementaSur will then assess the progress implemented in the original action plan before identifying new and innovative opportunities, while considering the barriers that could prevent their implementation. The aim of the project is to cultivate a roadmap for the implementation of the updated Action Plan that includes the necessary activities, projects and programs that will optimize emission reductions. Opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions exist through the implementation of composting plants, anaerobic digesters and the capture of gas from landfills.
The scope of the project also provides capacity building to reduce SLCP emissions from the waste sector, with consideration of gender equity. The capacity building involves key government representatives and experts in planning and implementing measures to improve Togo’s waste management system and mitigate SLCP emissions. The capacity building would ensure that there is a gender balance among the participants that will be trained as well as the trainers.
Under this framework, the project will include a series of trainings/workshops aimed at:
Strengthening collection systems for municipal solid waste
Planning and implementing mitigation measures
Developing sanitary landfills with landfill gas capture and utilization
Reducing the volume of organic material in landfills through the diversion of organics and treatment through composting and other options
Reducing open burning of municipal solid waste
Associated documents and reference materials
More on the Recycle Organics Program
The underling goal of the Recycle Organics program is to help the countries it supports achieve the Global Methane Pledge of reducing their methane emissions by 30% by 2030, while inherently bringing significant environmental, economic and social benefits to local communities. The Program has a particular focus on working with developing countries and SIDS since they historically contribute the least to climate change but are typically hit the hardest by its cascading effects. Many of these countries are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, intensified storms and flooding because of the warming planet, making the goals of the Paris Agreement to keep warming below 1.5°C evermore critical.
Togo marks the second CCAC-funded project currently under the Recycle Organics umbrella, as the Program is additionally working in the Maldives to equip its government with enhanced information and methodologies for estimating detrimental emissions originating from the waste sector, leading to improved conditions for revising and reporting their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Recycle Organics Program is also currently funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
About the CCAP Methane Mitigation Program
The overarching goal of the CCAP Methane Mitigation Program is to reduce GHG emissions in the waste sector by advancing policies, programs and projects that contribute to sustainable waste management. In addition to its work with Recycle Organics, CCAP previously led the 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 developing a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to reduce methane emissions from the waste sector in Peru, under the Mitigation Action Facility. The goal of Peru’s Waste NAMA is to reimagine the country’s waste sector from a system that relies on final disposal to one that introduces circular economy concepts and strives to reduce and capture methane emissions and convert them to useable products such as compost or energy.
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.
About CCAC
CCAC is a voluntary partnership of over 160 governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations founded in 2012.
The organization is the only international body working to reduce powerful but SLCPs – methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and tropospheric ozone – that drive both climate change and air pollution.
CCAC and its partners work together toward a common goal of reducing global warming in the near-term to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement and support economic development, improved health and environmental and food security benefits.
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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.