Chile landfill tops UN list of major methane emission sites

A landfill on the outskirts of Santiago ranked as the largest methane-emitting site among human-made sources, according to a list published by the United Nations in April.

The ranking identifies 50 major emission sites worldwide, including several oil and gas fields in Turkmenistan. Methane is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide but has a much shorter lifespan, breaking down in the atmosphere after about a decade. That means cutting methane emissions acts like a climate emergency brake, slowing global warming as the world transitions to a clean energy future.