Ficha Técnica del Análisis de Metano en el Sector de Residuos de Colombia

Colombia is the third largest methane emitter from the waste sector in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2018, the waste sector contributed 7% of national greenhouse gas emissions, with 93.4% of those emissions being methane. While the country has a regulatory framework for general waste management, it lacks specific national policies for methane reduction. Key challenges include a tariff system that disincentivizes organic waste diversion and a lack of disaggregated data on waste flows. The document recommends developing a national methane mitigation strategy, revising tariffs to reflect actual capital costs for organic treatment, and improving the technical robustness of municipal Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans (PGIRS).

• Colombia ranks as the third largest emitter of methane from the waste sector within the Latin America and Caribbean region, following Brazil and Mexico.
• In 2018, Colombia's waste sector accounted for 7% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, totaling 20.46 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent. Methane represents 93.4% of these sector-specific GHG emissions, and 52% of the sector's total GHG emissions come from solid waste disposal.
• Despite having a broad institutional framework for waste management—including laws and resolutions promoting sanitary landfills and the mandatory use of Integrated Solid Waste Management Plans (PGIRS)—Colombia lacks national regulations or policies specifically targeting the reduction of methane emissions from solid waste.
• In 2021, over 14 million metric tons of municipal solid waste were generated, with organic waste making up 70% of the total flow. While 82% of generated waste was collected and 70% of collected waste went to sanitary landfills, illegal waste disposal persists in 90 municipalities.
• The current tariff system creates a conflict of interest by rewarding landfill operators based on the volume of waste received, which discourages the diversion of organic waste toward appropriate treatments. Additionally, low tariffs for organic waste treatment projects hinder their economic viability.
• Significant governance and technical gaps exist, including a lack of disaggregated data on waste flows, insufficient use of advanced monitoring technologies for methane leaks at large disposal sites, and ineffective PGIRS that are too general to ensure continuity between administrations.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2024). Ficha Técnica del Análisis de Metano en el Sector de Residuos de Colombia. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/14155849/colombia-waste-sector_fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. Ficha Técnica del Análisis de Metano en el Sector de Residuos de Colombia. 2024. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/14155849/colombia-waste-sector_fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=Ficha Técnica del Análisis de Metano en el Sector de Residuos de Colombia |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/14155849/colombia-waste-sector_fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2024ficha, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{Ficha Técnica del Análisis de Metano en el Sector de Residuos de Colombia}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/14155849/colombia-waste-sector_fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }