Biden unveils plan to cut methane emissions

What is the News?

The US President has announced the Global Methane Pledge at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate(MEF).

What is the Global Methane Pledge?

Global Methane Pledge is a joint US-European Union(EU) pledge to cut global methane emissions by nearly 30% in the next decade.

The pledge will be formalized at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021.

What is the significance of this pledge?

Methane is the second most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) and is 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over 20 years in the atmosphere, and 34 times more powerful over 100 years. 

Because it exists for a relatively short time in the atmosphere, cutting methane provides a quick benefit in terms of limiting near-term temperature rise.

Most human-caused methane emissions stem from three sectors: agriculture (40%), energy (35%) and waste (20%). 

Studies estimate that ambitious actions to reduce methane can avoid 0.3C of warming by 2050. 

What is the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF)?

MEF was launched in 2009. It is aimed at facilitating candid dialogue among major emitting countries, both developed and developing, to garner the political leadership needed to advance efforts against climate change.

Source: This post is based on the article “Biden unveils plan to cut methane emissions” published in The Hindu on 18th Sep 2021.