Rio de Janeiro (November 4, 2025) – Today, at the 2025 C40 World Mayors Summit (WMS), building on the success of C40’s Sustainable Waste Systems Accelerator, the Global Methane Hub announced a new $10 million investment in Latin American and Caribbean cities to support cutting methane emissions from waste. The investment will support municipalities in developing and implementing city-level methane reduction strategies, mobilizing data, finance, and policy innovation to deliver measurable progress in the years ahead.
“Last month, 33 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean committed to cutting methane emissions from waste, recognizing the clear public health and environmental benefits,” said Marcelo Mena, CEO of the Global Methane Hub. “This investment builds on that momentum by empowering cities to act and achieve near-term climate gains that improve air quality, reduce waste, and strengthen communities.”
The announcement came as part of the COP30 Local Leaders Forum, co-hosted by the COP30 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Forum brings together hundreds of mayors, governors, and regional leaders from around the world to spotlight how cities, states, and regions are delivering measurable progress on climate goals and connecting local action to global outcomes.
Methane from organic waste is one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions in urban areas, and tackling it offers immediate climate and health benefits. This continued partnership will provide technical support and new data tools – including satellite monitoring through partners like Carbon Mapper and WasteMAP – to help cities turn commitments into action.
C40’s Sustainable Waste Systems Accelerator, formerly known as the Pathway Towards Zero Waste, was launched in 2022 to help cities in the Global South improve waste management and cut methane emissions. Through that initiative, pioneering cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Accra committed to treatment methods that reduce methane emissions for at least 30% of organic waste and reduce disposal-related emissions by 30% by 2030. These cities are implementing locally relevant solutions with global results, delivering the ambition of the Global Methane Pledge in cities around the world.
Cities are showing what is possible. Across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, 22 C40 cities are on track to reduce 1.2 million tons of methane between 2024 and 2030 by improving their organic waste management. This is equivalent to removing over 100 million tons of CO2 or taking 22 million cars off the road.
During the C40 Summit, cities in the accelerator shared how their collaboration with C40 and Global Methane Hub has helped make their city cleaner, greener and healthier. For example, Ekurhuleni, South Africa have developed a pipeline of high-impact projects, including the piloting of an Organic Waste Facility, set to launch in early 2026, that will divert more than 45,000 tons of waste per year from landfill, reduce pressure on waste infrastructure, and create more than 20 permanent green jobs in the city.
“Tackling methane emissions from waste is one of the fastest ways for mayors to make progress on climate change,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean are helping to lead the way, including with innovative efforts to reduce waste going to landfills and capture landfill methane and convert it to energy. This investment will help them move faster and spread solutions that work.”
“Waste management is one of the key areas in which mayors can make a real difference to a city’s methane emissions, whilst also creating high quality green jobs. C40 cities are going further and faster through multilateral action, working together on resource management, maximizing emissions reductions and ensuring the economic benefits of a circular economy are inclusive and felt by all,” said Mark Watts, C40 Executive Director. “C40’s collaboration with the Global Methane Hub is serving to direct resources, data and technology to city officials, accelerating projects that deliver impact and ensure no one is left behind.”
As host of COP30, Brazil is demonstrating how national ambition can be driven by local innovation. The investment builds on that theme and will empower cities across the region to set an example for municipalities worldwide looking to implement their own subnational strategies.
“Brazil will launch its National Plan for Reducing and Recycling of Organics, built together with UNEP, WRAP, Polis and GMH, and we started financing methane capture projects with the Green Climate Fund. More than 10 mayors will announce new methane capture systems in Brazil at COP 30 aiming to produce more than 1.5 million M3/day of biomethane” said Adalberto Maluf, National Secretary for Urban Environment, Water Resources and Environmental Quality for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change in Brazil.