Satellite data finds landfills are methane ‘super emitters’

A person picks through trash for reusable items as a fire rages at the Bhalswa landfill in New Delhi, April 27, 2022. Landfills are releasing far more planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste than previously thought, a study suggests (Manish Swarup/AP/PA)

Landfills are releasing a significant amount of planet-warming methane into the atmosphere from the decomposition of waste, scientists have warned.

Researchers used satellite data from four major cities — Delhi and Mumbai in India, Lahore in Pakistan and Buenos Aires in Argentina — and found city-level emissions 2018 and 2019 were 1.4 to 2.6 times higher than earlier estimates.