The Center for Clean Air Policy

What The Center for Clean Air Policy does

The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit climate policy organization founded in 1985 that develops, promotes, and implements solutions to climate, air quality, and energy problems. It works directly with national and municipal governments, primarily in developing countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and selectively in Africa and the Pacific, providing technical assistance for climate policy development, NDC implementation, methane mitigation, and organic waste management. Its flagship offering is the Recycle Organics Program, co-led with ImplementaSur, which spans 25 countries and more than 50 projects (composting initiatives, biodigesters, and landfill gas-to-energy systems) with a stated potential to mitigate 31 million tons of CO2e over 20 years and divert more than 700,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfills annually.

CCAP's technical capabilities center on policy tools and research methodologies rather than physical technology products. These include waste characterization studies using European standards (EN 14899, EN 15002, CEN/TR 15310, EN ISO 17025, XP X30-413), Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) protocols for greenhouse gas emissions, Organic Waste Management (OWM) Plans, and the Global Taxonomy Map & Dashboard for sustainable finance classification. Complementary products include the Community of Practice on Organic Waste Methane Reduction (CoP MetLAC) delivered with LEDS LAC and the Global Methane Hub across 13 LAC countries, the Methane Mitigation in the Waste Sector Guidebook (English, Spanish, Portuguese) with an accompanying UNEP-hosted e-learning course, and the Colombia Transit Oriented Development NAMA Support Project in partnership with CIUDAT.

CCAP is funded primarily through government grants (notably a CAD $7M ECCC award for 2017-2022 and a CAD $8M ECCC award for 2023-2026), foundation support (Global Methane Hub), coalition funding (Climate and Clean Air Coalition), and individual donations. It does not sell products or services; all technical assistance, capacity building, and publications are provided at no cost to partner governments and institutions. Leadership is anchored by Executive Director Allison Bender-Corbett and Senior Policy Associate Luz Ledesma Clavell, with operations centered on a headquarters office at 700 12th St. NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC.

Name

The Center for Clean Air Policy

Legal name

The Center for Clean Air Policy

Website

https://ccap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Clean Air Policy is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit climate policy think tank founded in 1985 that works with national and municipal governments in developing countries, primarily across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Small Island Developing States, to develop and implement organic waste management and methane mitigation policy and projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Policy Services

NAICS

Remediation Services (562910), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decarbonization Strategy & Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) Advisory (EUABAKAC), Offsets & Carbon Removal Procurement Strategy (portfolio design, quality screening) (EUABAKAL), Supplier Engagement & Value-Chain Decarbonization Programs (EUABAKAE)

Keywords

• Climate policy advisory
• Methane mitigation programs
• Organic waste management
• Sustainable finance taxonomy
• Emissions trading research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: CCAP receives funding from government sources including Environment and Climate Change Canada ($8 million CAD contribution to Recycle Organics Program), which supports climate action programs in developing countries.
2. Foundation Funding: Funding from foundations such as the Global Methane Hub to support methane mitigation initiatives and community of practice programs across Latin America and the Caribbean.
3. Coalition Contributions: Support from Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) for waste sector methane mitigation initiatives, including guidebook development and regional capacity building.
4. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support climate policy work (Make a Gift option on website).

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) is an independent nonprofit climate policy organization that provides technical assistance, policy advisory, and capacity-building services to national and local governments to advance climate, air quality, and methane mitigation action. Its flagship Recycle Organics Program spans 25+ countries with 50+ projects focused on turning organic waste into climate solutions, complemented by the Global Taxonomy Map & Dashboard for sustainable finance classification and the CoP MetLAC regional knowledge-exchange platform.

Product overview

The Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) operates primarily as a climate policy organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offering is the Recycle Organics Program - a global initiative spanning 25+ countries that helps developing nations reduce methane emissions from organic waste through policy development, capacity building, project acceleration, and knowledge sharing. The program portfolio includes over 50 projects ranging from composting initiatives and biodigesters to landfill gas-to-energy systems. CCAP also provides complementary tools including the Global Taxonomy Map & Dashboard for sustainable finance mapping, the Community of Practice on Organic Waste Methane Reduction (CoP MetLAC) for peer exchange, and specialized guidebooks and MRV protocols. The Recycle Organics Program works in conjunction with CCAP's other climate initiatives to deliver environmental, economic, and social benefits to local communities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Recycle Organics Program: A global initiative spanning 25 countries that helps countries turn organic waste into climate solutions, led by CCAP and ImplementaSur

Products and services

• Recycle Organics Program A global initiative spanning 25+ countries that helps developing nations reduce methane emissions from organic waste through policy development, capacity building, and project acceleration. Manages over 50 projects including composting, biodigesters, and landfill gas-to-energy systems with potential to mitigate 31 million tons of CO2e over 20 years.
• Global Taxonomy Map & Dashboard An interactive online tool that maps and visualizes sustainable finance taxonomies worldwide, helping stakeholders understand and compare environmental classification systems across different jurisdictions.
• Community of Practice on Organic Waste Methane Reduction (CoP MetLAC) A joint initiative with LEDS LAC Regional Platform and Global Methane Hub that brings together government representatives from 13 LAC countries to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration, and advance progress on organic waste management and methane mitigation toward the Global Methane Pledge goal of 30% reduction by 2030.
• Methane Mitigation in the Waste Sector Guidebook A practical, step-by-step guidebook providing governments and organizations with guidance on developing enabling public policies and investment plans to achieve methane-reduction goals. Available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese with accompanying e-learning course on UNEP platform.
• Organic Waste Management (OWM) Plans Tailored planning instruments developed for national and subnational governments, providing context-specific roadmaps for municipalities to implement organic waste management solutions.
• Waste Characterization Studies Research and analysis tools that quantify waste volume and composition to demonstrate organic waste recovery and valorization potential, supporting data-driven planning and policy development.
• Colombia Transit Oriented Development (TOD) NAMA A NAMA Support Project helping Colombian cities implement transit-oriented development with place-making improvements, policy innovation, and project financing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Togo National Roadmap for Reducing SLCP Emissions A comprehensive national policy tool developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources to reduce short-lived climate pollutant emissions from solid waste, targeting 32% methane reduction and 28.1% waste sector GHG reduction by 2030.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31 million tons CO2e mitigated over 20 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• ImplementaSurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAP co-leads the Recycle Organics Program with ImplementaSur, a development consulting firm. Together they have scaled the program from supporting Chile in 2017 to spanning 25 countries with 50+ projects. ImplementaSur Director Gerardo Canales represents the partnership in regional workshops and program expansion.
• LEDS LAC Regional PlatformflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAP and ImplementaSur jointly deliver CoP MetLAC with LEDS LAC, bringing together government representatives from 13 LAC countries for methane mitigation knowledge exchange and collaborative action toward the Global Methane Pledge.
• CIUDAT (hosted by Findeter)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAP partnered with CIUDAT to demonstrate TOD models around BRT and rail transit stations in Colombian cities, supported by NAMA Facility funding. CIUDAT provided planning and design expertise for Portal de las Americas station area.
• National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) - ArgentinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINTI's Waste Division provided technical guidance for waste characterization studies at Buenos Aires Central Market, helping quantify waste streams and demonstrate organic waste recovery potential.
• Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources (MERF) - TogomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAP collaborated with Togo's MERF to develop the National Roadmap for reducing SLCP emissions and Greater Lomé Action Plan, both approved and endorsed by the national government.
• City of Děčín (Czech Republic)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAP's pioneering project in the early 1990s linked Děčín with three U.S. utility companies to demonstrate emissions trading feasibility, helping lay the foundation for Kyoto Protocol's international emissions trading.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global research organization working on climate policy, sustainable cities, and food/waste systems. Comparable to CCAP in producing climate policy analysis and country-level advisory work, but operates at much larger scale across multiple thematic areas.
• RMI (Rocky Mountain Institute): Independent non-profit focused on clean energy transition with global programs. Comparable climate policy and clean energy mandate, though RMI is significantly larger and operates primarily in energy systems rather than waste/methane.
• German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ): German federal enterprise for international development cooperation running climate, waste, and methane programs in developing countries. Comparable mandate and target geographies to CCAP but with vastly greater resources and bilateral government backing.

Others

• Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC): Global voluntary partnership of governments and organizations focused on reducing SLCPs including methane. CCAC is a direct funder of CCAP's waste sector work and operates an overlapping mandate on methane mitigation, but functions as a coalition secretariat rather than an implementer.
• Global Methane Hub: Philanthropic initiative funding methane mitigation projects globally, including CCAP's CoP MetLAC. Operates as a complementary funding partner rather than a competitor; both share a focus on Global Methane Pledge implementation.

Emerging players

• Climate Action Tracker (CAT): Independent scientific analysis tracking government climate action and pledges. Comparable to CCAP in producing policy-relevant climate assessments, but focuses on monitoring/tracking rather than country-level implementation support.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Network of global cities addressing climate change. Comparable to CCAP in supporting municipal climate action with capacity building and peer learning, but focused exclusively on cities whereas CCAP works at both national and municipal levels.

Direct peers

• Clean Air Task Force (CATF): Non-profit working on climate and clean air policy through technical analysis and advocacy. Closely comparable to CCAP in mission, policy advocacy approach, and operating model as a focused non-profit think tank.
• LEDS LAC Regional Platform: Regional platform for Latin America and Caribbean low-emission development strategies. Direct partner of CCAP in delivering CoP MetLAC, with overlapping mandates on national climate policy capacity building in LAC.
• ImplementaSur: Development consulting firm that co-leads CCAP's Recycle Organics Program. Closest operational peer given joint program delivery across 25 countries, though ImplementaSur operates as a private consultancy while CCAP is a non-profit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CleanAirPolicy
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CleanAirPolicy
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCAPolicy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-clean-air-policy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Clean Air Policy