Biomass waste-to-energy (WtE) offers a critical solution to carbon neutrality through improving the resource recycling and recovery. This study comprehensively assessed how WtE can be implemented in generating electricity for Cameroon with an estimation to the energy potential of anaerobic digestion of three organic waste streams including municipal solid waste, wastewater sludge, and livestock manure. We assessed the energy potential in terms of the theoretical, technical, and economic potentials. The findings highlighted a theoretical energy potential of 936.37 TWh y^r−1 in Cameroon. If only applied to a fraction of organic wastes, the technical potential could reach 48.64 TWh y^r−1. Furthermore, considering the economic costs of technology installation, 17.06 TWh y^r−1 could be generated, and this economic generation potential could supply to 38.9% of the country’s current electricity demand. This study implies that WtE would significantly reduce fossil fuels consumption and greenhouse gases emissions from poorly disposed wastes, to enable decarbonization transition and improve human health in African countries.

As the urgency of addressing climate change grows, strategies such as developing zero-emission campuses to achieve carbon neutrality are becoming increasingly crucial. Yet, research in this field remains somewhat underdeveloped and fragmented. This study aims to bridge this gap, providing a scientometric analysis of the research conducted on zero-emission campuses from 1997 to 2023, using data from the Web of Science Core Collection. The study analyzed 1009 bibliographic records with the aid of CiteSpace software, focusing on identifying key co-authors, co-words, co-citations, and clusters. The findings indicate a rapid increase in research in the field of zero-emission campuses, with a significant surge in the number of publications in recent years, culminating in 174 in 2021 alone. The leading universities in terms of publication count were the University of California System, Egyptian Knowledge Bank, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Furthermore, the United States, China, and the United Kingdom were identified as the main contributing countries/regions to publishing in this field, indicating a broad, global collaboration. The scope of research has broadened from technical elements, such as energy, to encompass social factors that influence sustainability. Emerging research areas were identified, including education and sustainability, renewable energy and energy efficiency, campus planning and design, waste management and recycling, policy support, and pro-environmental behavior. This study provides a structured overview of the research landscape in the field of zero-emission campuses, offering valuable guidance for academics and encouraging further collaboration. The identified research clusters, notable authors, and influential institutions hold significant implications for policy decisions, industry practices, and the implementation of zero-emission strategies on campuses, aiding in the broader pursuit of sustainability.

Landfill methane from sub-Saharan Africa is a rapidly growing but systematically overlooked contributor to global warming. Here, we model CH₄ emissions across 44 sub-Saharan African countries (2000–2100) under three waste disposal scenarios and conduct a systematic audit of waste-sector commitments in their nationally determined contributions. Cumulative emissions are equivalent to 1.1–4.5% of the remaining 1.5°C carbon budget by end of century, yet only 5 of 44 countries include an explicit methane target for waste, and none of the 10 largest emitters, which account for 71% of regional landfill CH₄, have such a target. Fourteen countries with zero waste-sector pledges represent 39% of modelled emissions. Stated investments totaling USD 10.5 billion are predominantly conditional on undelivered financing and technologically misaligned with immediate mitigation needs. We identify a development paradox: improving waste collection without building disposal alternatives, a trajectory several NDCs already commit to, brings methane likely already emitted by informal dumps into the scope of formal measurement, without necessarily reducing it.