India Fourth Biennial Update Report (BUR-4): How does it focus on GHG emissions from solid waste?
Background – UNFCCC party mandates
India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which mandates all Parties to submit periodic National Communications to report on the implementation of the Convention. India submitted its Initial National Communication in 2004 and its Second National Communication in 2012. During the sixteenth session of the Conference of Parties (COP) 2010, it was decided that developing countries, including India, should also submit Biennial Update Reports (BURs) as updates to their most recently submitted National Communications. The BURs aim to enhance transparency and accountability by providing regular updates on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, mitigation measures, progress on climate actions, and the financial, technical, and capacity-building support needed and received for climate action.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) submitted the BUR-4 report to UNFCCC in December 2024. BUR-4 emphasises India’s determination to fulfil its global climate commitments, showcasing the nation's progress in climate mitigation, sectoral innovations, and implementing frameworks for transparent climate governance. It serves as an update to the previous BUR-3 and the Third National Communication submitted to the UNFCCC in 2021, demonstrating significant advances in climate action and mitigation. The document underscores the balance required between economic growth and ecological integrity as India pursues its climate goals.
India GHG inventory, 2020
India’s total GHG emissions in the inventory period 2020 were 2,959 MtCO2e, excluding Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF). After including LULUCF, the total emissions reduced to 2,437 MtCO2e. This data indicates that the LULUCF sector acted as a net carbon sink during the 2020 inventory period, reducing India’s net GHG emissions by approximately 522 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to 22% of the country's total carbon dioxide emissions. Globally, LULUCF is included in climate policies under UNFCCC. For India, the sector is particularly significant because it acts as a net carbon sink, offsetting a portion of the country’s emissions through afforestation, reforestation, and other land management practices.The main contributors to the total GHG emissions are CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, methane emissions from livestock, and increased aluminium and cement production. Waste is the fourth-largest contributor to overall emissions in our country.
Emissions from the waste sector
The waste sector contributes approximately 76 MtCO2e emissions and has become one of the fastest-growing segments in India’s GHG inventory. According to the report, the sector grew by 226% from 1994 to 2020 due to population growth, rapid urbanisation, and increased industrial activities. In 2019, the sector contributed 2.34% to total greenhouse gas emissions, 22.69% of which came from solid waste disposal.
India has the second-largest urban system in the world, with about 11% of the global urban population living in Indian cities. However, the country faces several challenges, including housing, infrastructure development, water security, waste management, and sanitation.
Municipal solid waste (MSW) in urban areas contains a high proportion of organic material (40-60%), which leads to significant methane emissions due to the anaerobic decomposition of organic waste in poorly managed, non-scientifically prepared landfill sites and wastewater treatment. The lack of segregation at the source, inefficient collection and disposal systems, open dumping, unscientific disposal sites, and waste burning exacerbate these emissions and environmental degradation. In 2020, GHG emissions from the waste sector accounted for 19,142 GgCO2e, which increased by a staggering 15.26% in one year, mainly due to methodological improvements in calculating GHG emissions and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methane is a potent GHG with a global warming potential much higher than carbon dioxide. Further, it is a key contributor to urban emissions, majorly generated from the treatment and disposal of municipal, industrial, and other solid wastes at solid waste disposal facilities (SWDs). Solid waste disposal includes managed, unmanaged, and uncategorised waste disposed of in landfills. According to the report, 912 Gg of methane was produced from 51,527 Kt of MSW received at landfills in 2020. Open waste burning contributed to CO2 emissions, generating 178 Gg of CO2 from 310.97 Kt of waste incineration/burning.
Waste management policies and initiatives
India has taken various initiatives to promote a circular economy in the waste sector. The report outlines some relevant laws, rules, and regulations with mitigation measures for waste management, particularly to reduce solid waste and wastewater emissions. Specialised legislation has been enacted and periodically revised to ensure effective waste management to adapt to evolving environmental conditions.
Urban MSW management is governed by the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, which mandate waste segregation, recycling, and scientific disposal practices. The mitigation measures include implementing waste segregation at the source, promoting composting, recycling, waste-to-energy initiatives, and modernising landfill practices to minimise emissions. Policies for hazardous waste, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic waste and e-waste management, are being implemented at the state level. Enforcing these regulations that limit the disposal of organic waste in landfills and promote alternative waste treatment methods can significantly reduce methane emissions. The government is also promoting public-private partnerships (PPPs) to enhance waste management infrastructure and improve overall efficiency in the sector.
Aligning with India’s global climate action-related commitments, the Government of India initiated several missions to mitigate GHG emissions and promote a circular economy. Some pre-eminent missions and major policy interventions having a direct impact on waste management are given below:
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The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) was launched in 2015 to enhance the quality of life, particularly for the poor and disadvantaged, by providing essential civic amenities such as water supply, sewerage, urban transport, and parks. The scheme focuses on expanding sewage treatment plants (STPs), adopting decentralised wastewater systems, utilising methane capture technologies at treatment plants, and reducing untreated wastewater discharge into water bodies.
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Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)—Grameen and Urban, launched in 2014, is the world’s largest sanitation initiative. It aims to achieve an Open Defecation-Free India, legacy waste management, 100% scientific solid waste management (SWM), and behaviour change through ‘Jan Andolan’ in all statutory towns.
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Programme on Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Wastes/Residues, launched in 2022, aims to generate energy from urban, industrial, and agricultural wastes/residues in waste-to-energy plants, support manufacturing of briquettes and pellets through a biomass programme, and enhance the production and availability of compressed bio-gas (CBG) as an alternative clean fuel for cooking and transportation.
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"Extended Producer Responsibility" framework adopted for:
i) Plastic waste management: To eliminate single-use plastics with low utility and high littering potential.
ii) E-waste management: To fix the e-waste recycling targets for producers based on the sales data of producers and the average lifespan of electronic equipment, as mandated under the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Constraints, gaps and way forward
Specific challenges in the waste sector include the complex nature of municipal solid waste (MSW) management, where the varied composition of MSW, differing recycling levels, and the proportion of waste undergoing composting or reaching landfills influence methane emissions from anaerobic decomposition. Similarly, construction and demolition waste often go unreported in detail, creating significant gaps in understanding its management and associated emissions.
Additionally, the significant role of the informal sector in waste management, including collection and preliminary processing, is often inadequately captured in official statistics, leading to underreported emissions. Addressing these issues is vital for enhancing waste management strategies, which will not only improve handling and reporting but also enhance the accuracy and reliability of GHG emission estimations for future communications.
Capacity-building efforts in the waste sector should standardise data collection and reporting practices across regions, integrating the informal sector into formal waste management systems. A greater understanding of new waste processing and recycling technologies, including waste-to-energy processes, is required to reduce landfill emissions. Enhancing knowledge of waste management regulations and best practices can improve compliance and reporting in this sector. Investing in technological upgrades for waste treatment facilities and strengthening the skills of waste management professionals can improve emission estimates and promote the adoption of cleaner technologies.
Information, education and communication (IEC) activities for public awareness can develop skills in community outreach to promote waste reduction, segregation, and recycling at the consumer level, further aiding in the sector's overall efficiency and environmental performance.
Effective implementation of these recommendations requires substantial financial investments to develop and disseminate tailored emission factors, support the training and capacity building of inventory compilers and data providers, advanced waste processing and GHG measurement technologies, and establishment of standardised practices, all of which will enhance data and reporting quality, and align waste management strategies with broader climate objectives. In conclusion, the report underscores the critical role of MSW management in the nation’s efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. With the waste sector becoming one of the fastest-growing contributors to India’s emissions, addressing challenges such as inefficient waste disposal practices, inadequate segregation, and reliance on landfill-based treatment is crucial. The Government of India’s initiatives, such as the new Solid Waste Management Rules 2024 (notified after the reporting period), coming into effect on 01 October 2025, emphasise waste segregation, recycling, and advanced waste-to-energy technologies and a shift towards a circular economy, supporting our national GHG emission reduction efforts.