Tools & Resources

In 2024, the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Biogas Subcommittee launched a four-part workshop series: Mobilizing Methane Action at Open Dumpsites and Landfills. This workshop series was developed in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the International Solid Waste Association, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and focuses on exploring policies, technologies, and tools and resources, aimed at reducing methane emissions from municipal solid waste.

The intended audience of the series includes national and subnational decision-makers and policymakers, waste professionals, waste facility operators, project developers, international development professionals, financial institutions interested in funding waste methane mitigation projects, and students and academics. 

At the first virtual workshop, Global Opportunities and Strategies for Addressing Landfill Methane, speakers discussed mitigating methane emissions from open dumpsites and landfills and reviewed case studies that highlight effective initiatives to reduce methane emissions. Participants gained insights into the urgency for action and the global potential associated with the reduction of methane emissions from landfills, such as environmental and health co-benefits. The workshop also explored the practical dimensions of mitigating methane at dumpsites, emphasizing key phases essential for successful projects.

Speakers

• Moderator: Matt Hamilton, Manager, Waste Sector GHG Reduction, Environment and Climate Change Canada, GMI Biogas Subcommittee Co-Chair
• Aditi Ramola, Technical Director at the International Solid Waste Association
• James Law, Vice President at SCS Engineers

In 2024, the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Biogas Subcommittee launched a four-part workshop series: Mobilizing Methane Action at Open Dumpsites and Landfills. This workshop series was developed in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the International Solid Waste Association, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and focuses on exploring policies, technologies, and tools and resources, aimed at reducing methane emissions from municipal solid waste.

The intended audience of the series includes national and subnational decision-makers and policymakers, waste professionals, waste facility operators, project developers, international development professionals, financial institutions interested in funding waste methane mitigation projects, and students and academics. 

At the first virtual workshop, Global Opportunities and Strategies for Addressing Landfill Methane, speakers discussed mitigating methane emissions from open dumpsites and landfills and reviewed case studies that highlight effective initiatives to reduce methane emissions. Participants gained insights into the urgency for action and the global potential associated with the reduction of methane emissions from landfills, such as environmental and health co-benefits. The workshop also explored the practical dimensions of mitigating methane at dumpsites, emphasizing key phases essential for successful projects.

Speakers

• Moderator: Matt Hamilton, Manager, Waste Sector GHG Reduction, Environment and Climate Change Canada, GMI Biogas Subcommittee Co-Chair
• Aditi Ramola, Technical Director at the International Solid Waste Association
• James Law, Vice President at SCS Engineers

In 2024, the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Biogas Subcommittee launched a four-part workshop series: Mobilizing Methane Action at Open Dumpsites and Landfills. This workshop series was developed in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the International Solid Waste Association, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and focuses on exploring policies, technologies, and tools and resources, aimed at reducing methane emissions from municipal solid waste.

The intended audience of the series includes national and subnational decision-makers and policymakers, waste professionals, waste facility operators, project developers, international development professionals, financial institutions interested in funding waste methane mitigation projects, and students and academics. 

At the first virtual workshop, Global Opportunities and Strategies for Addressing Landfill Methane, speakers discussed mitigating methane emissions from open dumpsites and landfills and reviewed case studies that highlight effective initiatives to reduce methane emissions. Participants gained insights into the urgency for action and the global potential associated with the reduction of methane emissions from landfills, such as environmental and health co-benefits. The workshop also explored the practical dimensions of mitigating methane at dumpsites, emphasizing key phases essential for successful projects.

Speakers

• Moderator: Matt Hamilton, Manager, Waste Sector GHG Reduction, Environment and Climate Change Canada, GMI Biogas Subcommittee Co-Chair
• Aditi Ramola, Technical Director at the International Solid Waste Association
• James Law, Vice President at SCS Engineers

Mitigating post-harvest food loss can result in economic benefits for farmers, increase food security, and reduce methane emissions from organic waste. Each year, an estimated 30 percent of fruits and vegetables produced in India are lost or wasted despite the country ranking 94th out of 100 on the 2020 Global Hunger Index (HLPE, 2014; Agarwal et al., 2021). Almost half of post-harvest food losses in India are attributed to the lack of a reliable cold chain, the integrated network of refrigerated storage facilities, transportation, and merchandising technologies that maintain food quality moving from harvest to the consumer (Peters et al., 2019). Cold-chain technologies are energy intensive and typically powered by fossil fuels. In recent years, there has been a focus on clean energy powered cold-chain solutions, including renewable energy powered cold storage facilities that store commodities after harvest.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a financial pre-feasibility assessment for direct biogas-powered cold storage facilities in Maharashtra, India. EPA used the Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Organics Economics (OrganEcs) and Anaerobic Digestion Screening Tool to assess an anaerobic digestion system processing livestock manure into biogas, which is then used by an absorption cooling technology to generate off-grid cold storage without electricity. Data collected from farmers in Maharashtra included the potential crops available for cold storage and commodity prices. Project developers and technical experts provided data on the facility capital and operating costs, as well as sale prices for biogas, digestate, and cold storage fees.

Related Resources

• OrganEcs – Cost Estimating Tool for Anaerobic Digestion
• Biogas-Powered Cold Storage Facility: India Financial Model
• Anaerobic Digestion Screening Tool: Biogas-Powered Cold Storage Facility India

This document provides a list of concrete ideas for actions that could scale up projects on the capture and use of methane at coal mines. The list is based on need statements and ideas proposed during the 21-22 March 2023 GMI Coal Mines Subcommittee meeting, held in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Nearly 50 representatives from 15 countries attended the Subcommittee meeting, including policymakers, technology providers, coal mining industry, academia, international non-government organizations, and environmental think tanks. Participants brainstormed potential solutions (notes available here) to top barriers to mitigating coal mine methane, identified at a prior meeting on September 27, 2022 (notes available here). The Coal Mines Subcommittee subsequently reviewed the list of ideas to prioritize actions GMI could focus on to most effectively address barriers in the coal sector.

Related Resources

GMI, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), worked with a partner in Kazakhstan to obtain data on associated gas availability and content to assess the opportunity to mitigate methane and reduce flaring at the Mangystau oilfield in southwest Kazakhstan. The prefeasibility study investigated the potential to monetize the stranded associated gas in the Mangystau oilfield by utilizing modular, small-scale processing technologies to produce marketable liquid hydrocarbon commodities such as methanol, syn-diesel, oil, or others. The report includes the results of the prefeasibility assessment of the range of practical mitigation options and recommendations for an optimum solution.

Prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) with contributions from GMI’s strategic partners for international collaboration, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UNEP-Convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), this report presents analysis to show a drop in fossil fuel demand would not cut methane emissions fast enough to meet the world’s climate goals. According to this report, decisive, far-reaching, and targeted actions to tackle methane emissions from fossil fuel production and use – such as by eliminating routine venting and flaring and repairing leaks – are essential to limit warming to 1.5 °C and reduce the risk of crossing irreversible climate tipping points.

Downloads and Resources

English

• SWEET v 4.0.5 (English, Excel)
• SWEET Data Collection Worksheet (PDF)
• SWEET User Manual (Doc)

Serbian

• Model za procenu emisija iz sektora upravljanja cvrstim otpadom (SWEET) v 4.0.5 (Serbian, Excel)
• SWEET Uputstvo za koriscenje (Serbian, PDF)

Spanish

• Herramienta de Estimación de Emisiones de Residuos Sólidos (SWEET) v 4.0.4 (Spanish, Excel)

Description

The Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) is an Excel-based tool that quantifies emissions of methane, black carbon, and other pollutants from sources in the municipal solid waste sector. The tool provides emissions and emissions reduction estimates at the project-, source-, and municipality-level. Cities can use this information for multiple purposes, including establishing a baseline scenario, comparing a baseline scenario to as many as four alternative scenarios, analyzing specific projects for potential emissions reductions, estimating the contribution of activities in the waste sector to overall city emissions reduction goals, and tracking progress over time, among other things.

SWEET was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Testimonials

Trainings

Case Studies

• Examining health and climate impacts of solid waste management in Accra, Ghana (PDF)
• Estimating short-lived climate pollutants from municipal solid waste in Tyre Caza, Lebanon (PDF)
• Scaling up organic waste management in Serbia’s South Backa Waste Management Region (PDF)

Downloads and Resources

English

• SWEET v 4.0.5 (English, Excel)
• SWEET Data Collection Worksheet (PDF)
• SWEET User Manual (Doc)

Serbian

• Model za procenu emisija iz sektora upravljanja cvrstim otpadom (SWEET) v 4.0.5 (Serbian, Excel)
• SWEET Uputstvo za koriscenje (Serbian, PDF)

Spanish

• Herramienta de Estimación de Emisiones de Residuos Sólidos (SWEET) v 4.0.4 (Spanish, Excel)

Description

The Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET) is an Excel-based tool that quantifies emissions of methane, black carbon, and other pollutants from sources in the municipal solid waste sector. The tool provides emissions and emissions reduction estimates at the project-, source-, and municipality-level. Cities can use this information for multiple purposes, including establishing a baseline scenario, comparing a baseline scenario to as many as four alternative scenarios, analyzing specific projects for potential emissions reductions, estimating the contribution of activities in the waste sector to overall city emissions reduction goals, and tracking progress over time, among other things.

SWEET was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Testimonials

Trainings

Case Studies

• Examining health and climate impacts of solid waste management in Accra, Ghana (PDF)
• Estimating short-lived climate pollutants from municipal solid waste in Tyre Caza, Lebanon (PDF)
• Scaling up organic waste management in Serbia’s South Backa Waste Management Region (PDF)

Related Resources

Related Resources

The Biogas and Gasification Matchmaking Platform facilitates networking among international providers and users of biogas and bio-methane technologies. Developed by the Digital Global Biogas Cooperation (DiBiCoo), the online platform acts as a database of biogas and gasification related stakeholders.

The platform:

• Connects biogas technology providers, project developers, and investors
• Assists with finding the most suitable companies for collaboration
• Helps to identify the best technologies for projects
• Increases the visibility of companies working in the biogas and gasification sectors
• Enables markets in developing and emerging countries to import sustainable biogas and biomethane technologies

Get started by joining the platform. With your free account, you can explore companies, business opportunities, and the knowledge base.

The Global Methane Initiative’s Policy Maker’s Handbook for Measurement, Reporting, and Verification in the Biogas Sector can help government decision-makers overcome barriers in accounting for emissions and emissions reductions from biogas projects.

The handbook serves as a high-level resource, intended primarily for national governments, on how applying best practices for project-level Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in the biogas sector can support national-level objectives such as developing robust greenhouse gas emissions inventories; enhancing targets, policies, and actions in nationally determined contributions for emissions reductions; demonstrating progress toward sustainable development goals; and increasing access to external funding sources to promote economic growth.

This handbook was developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the Global Methane Initiative.

Downloads and Resources

• AD Screening Tool, Version 2.4
• AD Screening Tool User Manual

Description

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, on behalf of the Global Methane Initiative (GMI), developed the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Screening Tool to assist stakeholders in assessing the potential feasibility of an AD project.

The AD Screening Tool enables users to conduct pre-feasibility analyses to evaluate AD opportunities for a variety of feedstocks, including organic municipal solid waste, livestock manure, agricultural residues, and wastewater. The tool generates the following outputs:

• Annual biogas and digestate production
• Project methane emission reductions
• Potential end uses of biogas, including estimates for electricity production, natural gas production, cooking gas potential, and home heating potential

This tool is intended to help project developers, government agencies, financial institutions, and other stakeholders conduct an initial screening assessment of the technical and financial feasibility of proposed AD projects.

Tutorials

Downloads and Resources

English

• Download the Landfill Gas Screening Tool (LFG-ST)
• LFG-ST User Manual

Serbian

• Model za pracenje deponijskih gasova (LFG-ST) (Serbian, Excel)
• LFG-ST Uputstvo za koriscenje (Serbian, PDF)

Description

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool’s goal is to assist cities in assessing the potential feasibility of a landfill gas energy (LFGE) project. It provides a preliminary estimate of how much landfill gas (LFG) a site could collect, and whether that fuel supply is likely sufficient to support a modest-sized LFGE project. LFGE project types include combusting LFG directly to produce heat (e.g., for industrial applications), using LFG to generate electricity, and - in some cases - converting LFG into a compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles.

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Global Methane Initiative and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

About the tool

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool’s goal is to assist cities in assessing the potential feasibility of a landfill gas energy (LFGE) project. It provides a preliminary estimate of how much landfill gas (LFG) a site could collect, and whether that fuel supply is likely sufficient to support a modest-sized LFGE project. LFGE project types include combusting LFG directly to produce heat (e.g., for industrial applications), using LFG to generate electricity, and - in some cases - converting LFG into a compressed natural gas (CNG) to fuel vehicles.

The Landfill Gas Screening Tool was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of the Global Methane Initiative and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition.

Downloads & resources

• Download the Landfill Gas Screening Tool (LFG-ST)
• LFG-ST User Manual

Downloads and Resources

• OrganEcs - Compost Version 3.1
• OrganEcs - Anaerobic Digestion Version 3.1
• OrganEcs User Manual

Description

Organic waste management (i.e. composting and anaerobic digestion) represent a key opportunity for achieving the reduction of short-lived climate pollutants from the municipal solid waste sector. Planning and developing such projects requires a detailed understanding of the costs involved in constructing and operating organic waste management facilities.

OrganEcs is a tool for estimating the costs associated with an organic waste management project. It provides planning-level assistance to local governments, waste professionals, policymakers, facility operators, and project developers to help them make financial decisions about their potential organic waste management projects.

OrganEcs was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative and in support of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. 

The GMI Oil & Gas Subcommittee virtual meeting was held on Thursday, 24 June 2021.

The meeting featured a review of GMI activities and accomplishments, including the recent rechartering of GMI through 2031, and an interactive discussion to identify priorities of the Oil & Gas Subcommittee to aid the development of the Subcommittee Action Plan 2021-2024.

A Call to Action on Methane: an international dialogue hosted by the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) was held on Thursday, 3 June 2021.

This event aimed to raise international awareness of the critical need to reduce methane emissions, emphasize opportunities for international leaders in industry, private sector, and government to take action to reduce methane, and celebrate the recharter of the Global Methane Initiative for another 10 years.

Distinguished members of the methane mitigation community presented keynote addresses and participated in discussions regarding methane mitigation policies, global trends in the energy sector, and opportunities for action on methane. The agenda and information about the speakers are available on the event website.

A recording and transcript of the event is available at https://globalmethane.org/calltoaction/

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

The principles outlined in the best practices document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks. The objective of the document is to encourage the development of post-mining projects to reduce the overall emissions attributable to the coal mining life cycle by optimizing recovery and use of methane that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The best practices guidance is available in English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian.

GMI provided technical and financial support in developing this updated version of the Best Practice Guidance for Effective Methane Drainage and Use in Coal Mines. This document provides accessible, high-level guidance for senior corporate, government, and financial decision-makers – all of whom play an integral role in decisions to implement best practices. Recommended principles and standards on coal mine methane (CMM) capture and use are explained clearly and succinctly to provide decision-makers with a solid base of understanding from which to direct policy and commercial decisions. Such knowledge is critical to minimize risks and the environmental impact of CMM emissions.

The principles outlined in this document are intended to provide guidance to complement existing legal and regulatory frameworks and to support the development of safer and more effective practices where industry practice and regulation continue to evolve. Although intended to support performance- and principles-based regulatory programs, the Best Practices Guidance can also complement more prescriptive regulation and can support a transition to performance-based regulation.

This Best Practices Guidance is available for download in English, Chinese, French, Spanish, and Russian.