As COP30 approaches, methane reduction stands out as one of the most effective and urgent measures to tackle the climate crisis and improve public health. Recycle Organics participated in the conference reaffirming its commitment and issuing a clear call: we need more funding to scale solutions that are already delivering results.
The Climate & Clean Air Conference 2025, held in Rio de Janeiro from March 16 to 21, sent a powerful message: reducing short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), especially methane, offers an immediate opportunity to slow global warming, improve air quality, and protect public health.
Despite being responsible for nearly half of current global warming and having 80 times the warming power of CO₂ over a 20-year period, methane mitigation receives only 2% of global climate finance. The conference called for more than tripling investments in methane mitigation if we are to meet the goals of the Global Methane Pledge.
Recycle Organics (RO) took part in the conference aligned with its mission to accelerate methane reduction in the waste sector. Over three days, the ImplementaSur team—Director Gerardo Canales, Consulting Manager Hernán López, and analyst Magdalena Merino—joined the CCAP delegation, including Allison Bender-Corbett, Brooks Shaffer, and Guillermo González. Together, they shared concrete progress, lessons learned, and upcoming goals of the program, which now operates in over 25 countries and seeks to expand its impact through new strategic partners and international donors.
RO promotes a systemic approach to methane reduction that integrates project development, public policy, and capacity building. Its current portfolio includes 50 projects using a wide range of technologies including composting, anaerobic digestion, biochar, landfill gas capture, and black soldier fly larvae.
These projects have the potential to mitigate up to 31 million tons of CO₂e over the next 20 years. Currently, active projects are diverting over 700,000 tons of organic waste annually, extending landfill lifespan and cutting emissions.
In parallel, the program has trained nearly 3,000 people through workshops, seminars, and knowledge exchanges—strengthening the technical and institutional ecosystems needed for lasting transformation.
During the conference, Brooks Shaffer, Program Coordinator at CCAP, presented RO’s systems approach to a packed room. He highlighted how projects are linked to enabling policies and regulatory frameworks, creating the conditions needed to scale sustainable solutions. He also emphasized the importance of South-South collaboration and working with a diverse range of stakeholders—from governments and municipalities to farmers, hotels, and educators—across the entire organic waste value chain.
Gerardo Canales, Director of ImplementaSur, underscored the widespread support and recognition of the program’s work, particularly for its integrated focus on both long-term climate policy development and the rapid implementation of short-term solutions and capacity-building efforts.
In Chile, where the program was born, more than $25 million in investment has been mobilized—starting from just $1 million. Through the community composting program, 58% of compost monitors and 57% of beneficiaries are women, and the program aims to distribute 3,100 composting kits to households and schools by 2026.
“We work with a wide range of actors—municipalities, hotels, markets, restaurants, farmers, and educators. It all starts with understanding the crucial role of source separation and the benefits of cutting methane to achieve cleaner air and healthier communities,” explained Allison Bender-Corbett, Executive Director of CCAP.
Between 2017 and 2025, Recycle Organics has managed over $13.5 million in funding to develop more than a dozen projects. But population growth, urbanization, and rising waste generation demand faster action.
For the next two years (2025–2026), the program is seeking to mobilize an additional $2.5 million. This funding will allow RO to:
Already, $300,000 has been secured to launch new activities in Paraguay, thanks to CCAC support. Now, new partners are needed to take these proven solutions further and faster.
