Satellite observations from Carbon Mapper's Tanager-1 found 70 methane plumes at Turkey's 10 highest-emitting waste sites between January 2025 and May 2026. The Seymen landfill near Istanbul averaged about 7.4 metric tons of methane per hour, one of the largest recorded landfill sources worldwide. Turkey ranks fifth globally for methane emissions from solid waste, according to Climate TRACE. Turkey's Environment Ministry and landfill operator ISTAC dispute the data, saying intermittent readings cannot establish annual emissions and that gas capture has improved. However, World Bank data shows Turkish waste-sector methane rose nearly 25% from 2014 to 2024, versus a 6.5% global increase. Turkey is hosting COP31 but has not joined the Global Methane Pledge, which targets a 30% cut by 2030. Concentrating emissions at relatively few landfill sites gives authorities a clear target for repair and gas collection upgrades, as well as organic waste diversion.
