Satellites Detect Massive Methane Leaks at Turkish Landfills Ahead of COP31

Satellites hovering over Turkiye have detected massive methane emissions escaping from major landfills just as the country prepares to host the COP31 climate conference in Antalya. Methane is the biggest driver of climate change after carbon dioxide and is over 80 times more potent in its first two decades in the atmosphere, meaning sharp cuts can slow global warming relatively quickly.

Satellite Findings

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, analyzed satellite data and found 70 methane plumes across Turkiye's 10 highest-emitting waste sites. These included three locations around Istanbul, along with sites near Ankara, Izmir, and Antalya. Data from the Tanager-1 satellite showed an average rate of about 7.4 tons an hour from the Seymen landfill west of Istanbul, ranking it close to the highest-emitting landfill on a global list from 2025. Non-profit tracker Climate TRACE lists Turkiye as the world's fifth-biggest emitter of solid waste methane, trailing China, the United States, Russia, and Brazil.

Official Responses

Turkiye's Environment Ministry stated that the satellite data relied on non-continuous measurements and could not accurately measure annual emissions at Seymen. The ministry pointed to its Zero Waste Initiative, noting that national waste recovery rates rose to 37.53% in 2025 from 13% in 2017. Municipal operator ISTAC, which captures gas at Seymen to generate electricity, also disputed the findings. ISTAC official Aysen Erdincler said normal emissions range between 4 and 6 tons per hour, while ISTAC head Fatih Ugur explained that 30 hectares of the landfill were left uncovered during pipe maintenance on the day of a high 12-ton reading, combined with low atmospheric pressure.

Context

Landfill methane escapes when buried organic waste decomposes without proper capture systems, presenting a major challenge for rapidly growing cities with high waste volumes. While many large facilities attempt to convert captured gas into electricity, leaks from faulty covers or collection wells remain a global hurdle for climate mitigation.