World Leaders Start to Move Past Hot Air with ‘Global Methane Pledge’

Cerys Jones

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The second day at COP26 in Glasgow saw the first major international agreement of the conference. Over 100 nations signed up to the US and EU’s brainchild: the Global Methane Pledge, where signatories will work for the collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade. Most headlines about climate change focus on the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, but on Tuesday over 100 nations recognised the importance of cutting methane emissions to buy time in the fight against climate change.

Why methane matters

Methane is a greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide, but it has several different properties. Over a 20-year period, methane is around 80 times more potent at warming than carbon dioxide. Methane may account for around about 30 per cent of global warming to date.

So where is it coming from?

Around half of methane emissions are estimated to come from agriculture and fossil fuel industries. About 20% of methane emissions come from agriculture due to livestock ‘releases’, waste management, paddy rice cultivation, and more. A further 30% come from processes related to the extraction of oil, coal, and gas – it is thought that this sector has been the main reason for the pace of increase of methane emissions in the past 50 years.

What is the deal?

The Global Methane Pledge initiative was originally proposed by the US and EU, but over 100 nations have now signed up. It has been touted by US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as one of the most effective actions to limit global warming in the short-term. At the crux of the deal is the aim to cut global methane emissions by 30% from their 2020 level by 2030.

Together with @POTUS Biden, President @vonderleyen launched the Global Methane Pledge.

Under this Pledge, we commit to:
reducing methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030.

Over 100 countries representing 70% of the global economy have now joined the Pledge.#EUatCOP26 #COP26 pic.twitter.com/NQIqVoqnmM

— European Commission (@EU_Commission) November 2, 2021

The methods for doing so will vary state-by-state, and not all those involved have released their plans. However, the USA has published its ‘US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan’, which gives us some idea. Their executive summary touts ideas such as rewarding farmers to reduce methane emissions and initiatives to reduce the waste that causes large emissions from landfills.

A Breakthrough or a Load of Hot Air?

This deal could prove critical in stopping the planet reaching its key ‘tipping point’ – warming 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Methane doesn’t stay in the atmosphere for as long as carbon dioxide – this means that reducing methane emissions now could have a visible effect sooner than reducing carbon dioxide emissions. This would buy the countries of the world more time to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions, the difficult task that is key to staying below 1.5°C. The USA and EU say that “delivering on the Global Methane Pledge would reduce warming by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius by 2050, providing a crucial foundation for global climate change mitigation efforts”; reducing warming is generally seen as the key goal of COP26. International cooperation looks promising; signatories include the EU nations, the UK, and the USA; the full list holds half of the world’s top 30 methane-emitting nations. This is by no means an open goal, or a solution to the climate crisis. Some have already pointed out that, even if it is fulfilled, the methane cuts will not be a substitute for drastically reducing carbon dioxide emissions – carbon dioxide is the gas responsible for the most global warming, and cuts to its emissions are non-negotiable. Furthermore, several significant emitters have not signed onto the pledge – such as China, India, Australia and Russia. Much more is needed beyond this pledge to limit greenhouse gas emissions enough to stop the Earth warming to a point that would cause a climate catastrophe. However, after the fears of next to nothing being agreed at the summit, it is surely a step in the right direction. As the first major accord to come from COP26 (alongside the deforestation agreement of the same day), it shows willingness from at least some world powers to knuckle down and set concrete targets. If delegates are willing to approach carbon dioxide emissions and a sustainable energy revolution in the same manner and do all they can to limit warming – and to bring some of the more reluctant countries on board – there could still be hope for the planet.

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Featured image courtesy of Markus Spiske via Unsplash. No changes or alterations were made to this image. Image license can be found here.