A research project from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at Xiamen University Malaysia (XMUM) has been named Malaysia's National Champion in the 2025 Frontiers Planet Prize, under the category of Climate Change Mitigation and Carbon Sequestration.

The Frontiers Planet Prize is one of the world’s leading science competitions, recognizing research with the highest potential to tackle the planetary crisis. In its 2025 edition, the competition spotlighted only 19 breakthrough projects from around the globe.

XMUM's winning study, titled Curbing Global Solid Waste Emissions Toward Net-Zero Warming Futures, was published in Science in November 2023 and featured as the issue's cover article. The research addresses critical methane emissions from the global solid waste sector - one of the most overlooked but potent contributors to climate change.

The project was led by Hoy Zheng Xuan (first author), a Master’s graduate from the Class of 2023, and Adjunct Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Vincent Woon Kok Sin, who served as the corresponding author. It was co-authored by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chin Wen Cheong from XMUM's Department of Mathematics, Dr. Fan Yee Van from the Brno University of Technology (Czech Republic), and Prof. Yoo Seung Jick from Sookmyung Women's University (South Korea).

The research analyzed greenhouse gas emissions from municipal solid waste in 43 of the world’s highest waste-generating countries and regions. It revealed that, without swift and strategic intervention, the sector is unlikely to meet key international climate targets, including those set by the Paris Agreement and the Global Methane Pledge.

To close this gap, the team proposed a tripartite framework combining regulatory enforcement, economic incentives, and social engagement. This integrated approach aims to catalyze policy reform and accelerate the transition toward more sustainable waste management practices worldwide.

Launched by the Frontiers Research Foundation in 2022, the Frontiers Planet Prize brings transformational scientific research to the global stage. Nominations are submitted by national academies and institutions from 62 countries, and winners are selected by a jury of 100 independent international experts.