Methane (CH₄) is identified in the IPCC AR6 report as the second most significant anthropogenic greenhouse gas after Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). The report highlights that although methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO₂, its potency is significantly higher. Consequently, targeting methane emissions is regarded as the single most effective immediate strategy for reducing the rate of global warming in the short term (next 20-30 years).
Consider a hypothetical medium-sized landfill receiving 500,000 tons of waste annually, of which 45% is organic.
Using LandGEM:
Without collection: ~21,000 metric tons CO₂ equivalent (MTCO₂e) per year.
With a METF CH4 plan including:
That’s a 96% reduction — demonstrating the power of an integrated framework.
Methane destruction generates high-quality carbon offsets. A verified METF CH4 project can earn Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) or Verified Carbon Units (VCUs). metf ch4
Example: A landfill installing a new flare system reduces CH4 by 50,000 MTCO₂e annually. At $15/credit, that’s $750,000 in revenue — creating a financial incentive to go beyond compliance.
| Metric | Unit | Description | |--------|------|-------------| | CH4 mass | kg CH4 | Absolute emissions | | CO2e (GWP100) | kg CO2e | Using GWP = 28 for CH4 (AR5) or 25 (AR4) – state which | | Emission intensity | kg CH4 / unit activity | e.g., per m³ gas produced, per head of cattle | | Leak rate | % | CH4 emitted as % of total methane throughput | Unlocking the Power of METF CH4: The Future