Data for: Curbing global solid waste emissions toward net-zero warming futures

No global analysis has considered the warming that could be averted through improved solid waste management and how much that could contribute to meeting the Paris Agreement’s 1.5° and 2°C pathway goals or the terms of the Global Methane Pledge. With our estimated global solid waste generation of 2.56 to 3.33 billion tonnes by 2050, implementing abrupt technical and behavioral changes could result in a net-zero warming solid waste system relative to 2020, leading to 11 to 27 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide warming–equivalent emissions under the temperature limits. These changes, however, require accelerated adoption within 9 to 17 years (by 2033 to 2041) to align with the Global Methane Pledge. Rapidly reducing methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide emissions is necessary to maximize the short-term climate benefits and stop the ongoing temperature rise., , , ## Curbing global solid waste emissions toward net-zero warming futures

A historical data inventory is developed based on a bottom-up approach for the 43 highest municipal solid waste (MSW)-generating countries, representing ~86% of the global MSW generation in 2016, based on World Bank. The selected countries comprise all four income groups: 14 high income, 13 upper-middle income, 13 lower-middle income, and 3 low income. The data inventory covers MSW generation, composition, and treatment facilities allocation data from 1990 to 2020. The data gaps for the MSW generation are filled using a panel data regression model with the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita as the MSW generation primarily grows with GDP and population growth. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O)) from the MSW disposal and treatment facilities in 1990–2020 are calculated based on the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines fo...