A group of 103 countries have joined in an effort led by the United States and the European Union (EU) to reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane by 30% by 2030. Brazil is among the signatories of the “Global Commitment on Methane ”, as CNN international affairs analyst Lourival Sant’Anna anticipated this Tuesday morning (02).
The pact aims to tackle one of the main causes of climate change, said a senior official in the government of Joe Biden. The partnership between the nations will be formally launched this Tuesday (2). Methane is the main greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.
Methane has a greater heat retention potential than CO2, but it decomposes in the atmosphere more quickly – meaning that reducing methane emissions can have a rapid impact on controlling global warming.
O Global Methane Pledge, which was first announced in September, now includes half of the top 30 methane emitters, accounting for two-thirds of the global economy, according to the Biden government official.
Speaking at COP26, Biden reinforces commitment
In Glasgow, Biden reinforced the commitment to reduce methane emissions and said that the measure could even reduce respiratory diseases such as asthma.
“This will make a big difference. And not just when it comes to combating climate change, but [a presidente da UE, Ursula von der Leyen] pointed. Individuals’ physical health and a range of other things. It will improve health, reduce asthma and respiratory emergencies, and also improve the food supply, reducing crop failure and ground-level pollution,” said the US president.
The reduction, according to Biden, “will boost our economies, saving money for companies, reducing methane leakage, capturing methane and turning it into new sources of revenue and also creating good-paying jobs for our workers.”
Brazil is one of the largest emitters
Brazil is one of the world’s five largest emitters of methane. China, Russia and India, which are also among the top five methane emitters, have not signed the pledge. These countries were all included in a list identified as “targets” to adhere to the commitment.
Since it was first announced in September, the United States and the European Union have worked to get the world’s biggest methane emitters to join the partnership.
Sixty countries signed up in the last week
About 60 countries signed up just last week, after a final diplomatic push by the United States and the EU ahead of the COP26 summit.
Although not part of the formal UN negotiations, the pledge to reduce methane emissions can be ranked among the most significant outcomes of the COP26 conference, given its potential impact in containing disastrous climate change.
In May, a UN report said sharp cuts in methane emissions this decade could prevent nearly 0.3 degrees Celsius of global warming by 2040.
Failing to deal with methane, however, would defeat the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels and avoiding the worst impacts of climate change.
The 30% cut in methane would be achieved jointly by the signatories and would cover all sectors. The main sources of methane emissions include infrastructure with oil and gas leaks, old coal mines, agriculture and landfills.
Impact on the energy sector
If fulfilled, the promise will likely have the biggest impact on the energy sector, as analysts say fixing leaky oil and gas infrastructure is the fastest and cheapest way to reduce methane emissions.
The United States is the world’s biggest oil and gas producer, while the EU is the biggest gas importer.
The US is expected to announce methane regulations for oil and gas this week. The EU and Canada plan to release methane legislation targeting the energy sector later this year.
Reporting by Kate Abnett, in Brussels, Valerie Volcovici, in Washington, and Ilze Filks, in Glasgow; with editing by Matthew Lewis. With information from Adrienne Vogt, from CNN
Reference: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
