CCAP and ImplementaSur partner with CCAC to provide technical assistance to Maldives authorities for improving methodologies and data for estimating waste sector greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Recycle Organics Program has launched a new project focusing on equipping the government of Maldives 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).
Funded by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) and ImplementaSur will provide technical assistance to the Maldives’ Ministry of Environment to overcome the existing data limitations in the waste sector for informed decision-making and to assess Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) and other harmful GHG emissions.
The project complements initiatives CCAC promoted in the past, such as Maldives’ National Air Pollution Action Plan developed in 2019 as part of the Supporting National Action & Planning Initiative.
“The support we are providing builds on the Recycle Organics Program’s rich experience in Latin America and the Caribbean,” said ImplementaSur Director Gerardo Canales. “By gaining better information and using improved methods to calculate harmful emissions, including SLCPs and GHG emissions, authorities in the Maldives can make more informed decisions and take effective action to reduce them, ultimately addressing the critical 1.5°C challenge.”
The Maldives' unique geographic and environmental characteristics make it highly vulnerable to climate change and the impacts of emissions from the waste sector. As an island nation in the Indian Ocean, it faces rising sea levels, coastal erosion and an increase in extreme weather events due to climate change. In this context, the project will develop local GHG and SLCP emission factors for the waste sector and calculate emissions accordingly, while building the capacity in the public sector to update these calculations with more data collected in the future.
The project, which runs until May 2024, involves several beneficiaries and key stakeholders with specific shared responsibilities related to waste management and environmental protection. “Active participation from all stakeholders, including government agencies, waste management professionals, service providers, local communities and NGOs, are essential for implementing comprehensive waste management strategies,” said Environmental Consultant at ImplementaSur, Sofía Martínez. “By working together, the Maldives government and project participants can make significant progress in improving their waste sector data to achieve efficient waste management, reducing pollution, preserving natural resources and safeguarding the well-being of the Maldivian population for current and future generations.”
The overall goal of the Recycle Organics program 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 countries across the globe. Maldives has become one of the first countries outside the Latin America and the Caribbean region to receive support from the Program, joining Fiji, Samoa and Togo. The Program is also currently funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
To learn more about the current Recycle Organics Program, visit our website where you can also access organic waste management resources such as composting guides and other educational materials available to the public.
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 the past, CCAP 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.