It's Earth Day every day for CCAP, and for Earth Month 2024 we’re showing how our global staff (representing 8 countries across 5 continents) practices sustainability in their home communities.
Episodes:
In this first episode, learn how Policy Associate Mariana Martins expresses her passion for climate action through her local urban composting initiative in Miami called Compost for Life.
Mariana puts her food scraps to use by turning organic waste into a nutrient-rich commodity that replaces synthetic fertilizers.
Watch Episode 1 - "Urban Composting in Miami"
So far, Mariana has diverted 147 pounds of organic waste from heading into a landfill. From an emissions standpoint, her composting efforts are equivalent to mitigating 145 miles worth of driving.
The separation of organic waste at the source helps prevent these valuable food scraps from ending up in landfills. If organic waste is not properly managed, it will decompose, emitting methane gas into the atmosphere—a significant contributor to near term climate change.
The waste sector accounts for 18% of global methane emissions, and addressing the organic fraction of waste is key to a world-wide greener future.
Through our Methane Mitigation program and the Recycle Organics initiative, CCAP works with more than 20 countries around the world to reduce both waste and methane emissions. Instead of waste being sent to landfills, we directly support governments, cities, communities and companies to separate the waste they produce at the source and put it to good use through composting and waste to energy projects.
Projects developed through the Recycle Organics program could mitigate up to +30.1 million tons of CO2e – that’s equivalent to taking 6 million cars off the road for a year.
In Episode 2 of the series, see how Colombia-based Climate Finance Director Sebastián Lema cycles towards a greener future to tackle emissions, while overcoming the notorious traffic jams in the capital city of Bogotá.
Watch Episode 2 - "Pedaling Towards Sustainability: Bogotá's Bike Network Revolution"
Nearly 30% of CCAP's staff members call Bogotá home and benefit from the city's extensive bike network. Sebastián is one of the many beneficiaries of this public bike system and lives only 5 minutes away from the bicycle stations, as he prefers to use this green mode of transportation to get around the busy city.
The transportation sector is the third-largest contributor of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest IPCC report.
Bogotá, Colombia, has a population of almost 8 million inhabitants, making it one of the most densely-populated cities in Latin America. Traffic is a huge problem in this city. To make matters worse, the city has a poor public transport system that is often overstressed. Many vehicles are constantly occupying its road network, making it one of the most congested cities in the world. In fact, Bogotá dwellers waste an average of 132 hours a year in traffic jams.
An alternative to these transport problems is the use of bicycles, for which the city has a network of more than 600km of cycle routes running through it.
Bogotá, known as the bicycle capital of the world, also has a public bicycle system with 300 stations, which in March 2024 completed 2.5 million journeys since it came into operation in September 2022.
Using this system is key to a sustainable future for all, as countries continue to search for ways to phase out fossil fuels.
At CCAP, we look to accelerate transformative climate finance by mobilizing financial resources from the public and private sector to accelerate green projects such sustainable mass public transit initiatives.
In this third and final episode, embark on a captivating journey through the picturesque Colombian countryside, nestled near the enchanting town of Villa de Leyva. Follow Climate Policy Associate Santiago Uribe Cuentas as he guides us through a remarkable visit to a community that is dedicated to sustainability.
Watch Episode 3 - "Rooted Together: Community Composting and Gardening in Colombia"
In this illuminating episode, witness firsthand how the community wholeheartedly embraces circularity in food production and waste management. Santiago unveils the community's profound commitment to a greener future, showcasing their innovative composting initiative and scenic gardens. Prepare to be inspired by their dedication to preserving our planet's beauty and vitality.
The community welcomes 40-600 people at a time, who come to visit throughout the year to seek peace, meditation, and friendship. They do their part to prepare their own meals from crops they grow onsite, and they are always sure to sustainably manage their food waste. By turning their food scraps into compost, the community not only contributes to the health of the local environment but also avoids the cost of waste disposal.
After 2-3 months, the community has nutrient-rich compost that is ready to be used in their gardens. By contributing to the beautification of the land, compost production simultaneously diminishes the community's environmental impact, thereby reducing emissions originating from waste.
In addition to reducing methane and other harmful greenhouse gas emissions, compost offers a significant answer to climate change mitigation, returning key nutrients to the soil that store carbon, removing it from the atmosphere. Composting also limits the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and like the community, on a larger scale, municipalities can cut costs on the transportation and final disposal of waste.
At CCAP, composting (alongside anaerobic digestion and landfill gas capture) is one of the three waste management technologies that we use to help countries around the world reach their climate goals and achieve the Global Methane Pledge of reducing methane emissions 30% by 2030. Through our Methane Mitigation program and the Recycle Organics initiative, we work with over 20 developing countries to accelerate these types of waste management projects.
Stay Connected:
There are numerous ways to stay connected with CCAP. Follow us on Twitter @CCAPolicy and on Facebook & LinkedIn.
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CCAP’s mission is to support every step of climate action, from ambition to implementation. A recognized world leader in climate policy and action, CCAP creates innovative, replicable climate solutions, strengthens capacities, and promotes best practices across the local, national, and international levels to accelerate the transition to a net-zero, climate resilient future. CCAP was founded in 1985 and is based in Washington, DC.