Global Identification of Solid Waste Methane Super Emitters Using Hyperspectral Satellites

Solid waste is the third largest source of anthropogenic methane, and mitigating emissions is crucial for addressing climate change. We combine three high-resolution (30–60 m) hyperspectral satellite imagers (EMIT, EnMAP, and PRISMA) to quantify emissions from 38 strongly emitting disposal sites across worldwide urban methane hotspots. The imagers give consistent emission estimates, with EMIT and EnMAP having better sensitivity than PRISMA. Total observed emissions add up to 230 ± 15 t h–1, representing 5% of reported global solid waste emissions. Our estimates exceed the facility-level Climate TRACE inventory by a factor of 1.8, while we only detect emissions from 9 of the inventory’s 20 highest-emitting sites, highlighting the importance of facility-level information. Furthermore, multimonth observations reveal emission patterns potentially linked to facility operations. We estimate that these instruments could detect 35–60% of global landfill emissions, critically expanding on satellite instruments designed for methane and supporting emission mitigation.