Nova Scotia Tackles Landfill Methane With $242K Research

Landfills across Nova Scotia could soon become climate solutions instead of climate problems, thanks to a new partnership between the province and St. Francis Xavier University.

The Antigonish university just received $242,060 to measure methane emissions at Nova Scotia's largest landfills and find ways to capture the powerful greenhouse gas before it escapes into the atmosphere. Even better, that captured methane could be transformed into renewable energy for communities across the province.

Researchers will visit landfills throughout Nova Scotia to understand exactly how much methane they're releasing. Then they'll examine innovative methane recovery systems already working in Canada and around the world to determine which technologies could work here.

"Our universities are centres of innovation, and we need to work with our best and brightest to find creative solutions," said Michelle Thompson, Minister of Health and Wellness and MLA for Antigonish. The project addresses one of climate change's trickier challenges: methane is far more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat, making landfill emissions a critical target.

The research will give municipalities practical roadmaps for reducing emissions while generating clean energy. David Risk, the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Research Chair in Climate Science and Policy at St. Francis Xavier, sees this as building on Nova Scotia's waste management leadership with tools that benefit both the climate and nearby communities.

The Ripple Effect

This project shows how tackling climate change creates multiple wins at once. Municipalities get the data they need to make informed decisions. Communities near landfills benefit from cleaner air. And captured methane becomes renewable energy instead of escaping as pollution.

The funding comes from Nova Scotia's Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund, created in 2021 to help communities adapt to and fight climate change. Since launching, the fund has invested $15.6 million in projects across the province, supporting everyone from municipalities to non-profits to Mi'kmaw communities.

Nova Scotia has set ambitious climate goals: cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 53 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050. The province's latest progress report shows it's on track to meet every target.

The landfill methane project reflects a practical truth about climate action: the best solutions often do double duty, solving environmental problems while creating economic opportunities and healthier communities.