US and EU pledge 30% cut in methane emissions to limit global heating
US President Joe Biden has asked other nations to join the EU-US pact.
The US and the EU have made a joint pledge to cut global methane emissions by almost a third in the next decade putting further focus on the world's farmers to cut reduce emissions from cattle.
US President Joe Biden has asked other nations to join the EU-US pact that aims to reduce methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.
"This will not only rapidly reduce the rate of global warming but ... it will also produce a very valuable side benefit like improving public health and agricultural output," Biden said.
"We believe the collective goal is both ambitious but realistic, and we urge you to join us in announcing this pledge at COP26," Biden said.
A methane clampdown poses a major challenge for Ireland because it is calculated to comprise 24.6% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, primarily coming from agriculture. Ruminants are the main source, with each cow burping about 350g per day.
Although methane is estimated to be the second biggest cause of global warming after carbon dioxide, it is no surprise that it is first for global attention, because methane naturally leaves the atmosphere in about 12 years.
Therefore, reducing it can rapidly reduce global warming, in comparison to trying to reduce carbon dioxide pollution, the main greenhouse gas, which persists and accumulates in the atmosphere for many hundreds of years.
EU experts have estimated that cutting global emissions of methane by half by 2050 would shave 0.18 degrees off the rise in global temperatures.
Experts say the fossil fuel sector has the biggest potential to cut methane emissions, by mending leaky pipelines or gas storage facilities, often at low cost. Satellite images show major methane emissions from oil and gas sites worldwide.
The US and EU are both due to propose laws this year to restrict these methane emissions and other sources such as agriculture and waste landfills.
The pledge came as the UN secretary-general, António Guterres, warned of a “high risk of failure” at the vital UN climate talks, Cop26, set for Glasgow this November.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, about 80 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, and emissions have been rising in recent years. Natural gas production and fracking, meat production and other forms of agriculture are among the chief sources.
The EU (estimated to produce 5% of global methane emissions) already has policies to reduce methane emissions 29% by 2030 (compared to 2005) but would need to speed that up to 37%, in line with the latest EU plan to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55%, by 2030.
The UN published a report that found current pledges on emissions from national governments would result in an increase of 16% in emissions in 2030 compared with 2010 levels, whereas scientists warn that emissions must fall by 45% in that period to stay within 1.5C.
The OECD also published a report showing that climate finance – funding from private and public sources that flows from the rich world to developing countries, to help them cut emissions and cope with the impacts of extreme weather – was falling about €17bn short of a longstanding target of €85bn a year.
Guterres said: “The world is on a catastrophic pathway to 2.7C of heating. There is a high risk of failure of Cop26. It is clear that everyone must assume their responsibilities. We need more ambition on finance, adaptation and [emissions cuts] … This is a crucial question of trust.” He added that the failure to come forward with stronger pledges on emissions was “breaking the promise made six years ago to pursue the 1.5C goal of the Paris Agreement. Failure to meet this goal will be measured in the massive loss of lives and livelihoods.”
In a joint statement with the US on the announcement of the pledge, the European Union said the reduction of methane emissions in the current decade is an important part of the European Union's ambition for reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
"This year, the European Commission will propose legislation to measure, report and verify methane emission, put limits on venting and flaring, and impose requirements to detect leaks, and repair them. The European Commission is also working to accelerate the uptake of mitigation technologies through the wider deployment of ‘carbon farming' in European Union Member States and through their Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans, and to promote biomethane production from agricultural waste and residues."
At the President's urging and in partnership with US farmers and ranchers, the US Department of Agriculture is working to expand the voluntary adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices that will reduce methane emissions from key agriculture sources by incentivising the deployment of improved manure management systems, anaerobic digesters, new livestock feeds, composting and other practices.
The US Congress is considering supplemental funding that would support many of these efforts. Among the proposals before the Congress is a major initiative to plug and remediate orphaned and abandoned oil, gas, and coal wells and mines, which would significantly reduce methane emissions. In addition, the United States continues to support collaborative international methane mitigation efforts, especially through its leadership of the Global Methane Initiative.
Cutting methane emissions would make a substantial contribution to achieving that goal, said Paul Bledsoe, of the Progressive Policy Institute in Washington DC and a former climate adviser in the Clinton White House. “The EU and Joe Biden deserve real credit – this is the first concrete step on the possible road to success at Cop26.”
Additional reporting The Guardian
