Estimating Short-lived Climate Pollutions Emission from Waste Management System in Semarang – A Life Cycle and Material Flow Analysis

The concept of short-lived climate pollutions (SLCPs) has been developed as part of global warming mitigation policies to identify the human-made atmospheric compounds that contribute to positive radioactive forcing. Numerous evident shows that there are those pollutants cause negative impact like climate change. Despite the extensive research in this area, the potential emissions of SLCPs from the waste management sector at the city level have not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to reveal the material flow of domestic waste in Semarang City. The waste management system was assessed using a literature survey and the potential emissions of SLCPs from waste management were analysed from a life cycle assessment perspective. This study used emission quantification tool (EQT), developed by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions from domestic solid waste management. While collecting data from existing literature, the author performed a MFA for the current conditions, which is based on the latest available data from 2022. The result showed that the current waste management system in Semarang City has several issues, such as a significant amount of unmanaged waste and the burning of waste, which contribute to high emissions of SLCPs. For the first time, this study demonstrated that by implementing advanced technologies such as incinerators and separating organic from inorganic waste, it is possible to achieve a substantial reduction in black carbon and methane emissions in Semarang City. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and contribute to the development of tailored waste management strategies that effectively mitigate SLCP emissions, setting a precedent for other urban areas facing similar challenges.