Washington, Oct 11 (IANS) Two dozen countries have joined the US-EU effort to reduce methane emissions by 30%, with the UN Security Council meeting in Glasgow later this month. . , A government official told Reuters.

Nigeria, Japan and Pakistan have signed the 24th Global Methane Pledge, first announced by the United States and the European Union in September and aimed at promoting rapid climate action ahead of the start of the Scottish Summit on October 31. The energy, agriculture and waste sectors, which account for most of the methane emissions, will have a significant impact.

Nine original partners, including Britain, Indonesia and Mexico, who signed the pledge Announced at the main economic forum Last month. The partnership now accounts for 60% of global GDP and 30% of global methane emissions.

US Special Envoy for Climate Change John Kerry and EU Executive Vice President Franz Timmermans will introduce the new partners at a joint event on Monday, and more than 20 charities led by Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates have announced they will raise more than $ 223 million. Assist countries’ methane reduction efforts, the official who declined to report said.

Sources indicate the range of different methane emission profiles. For example, Pakistan’s largest methane emissions are agriculture, while Indonesia’s main source is waste.

Some of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, including some African countries and island nations such as Micronesia, have signed the pledge.

In the weeks leading up to the UN climate summit, the United States, along with other emerging economic methane emitters such as India and China, is urging them to “continue the base of support.”

‘Leave a Moon’

Methane is the second largest cause of climate change after greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide (CO2). Several recent reports highlight the need for governments to take action on methane to curb global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Methane has higher thermal mechanical capacity than CO2, but decomposes faster in the atmosphere. A milestone United Nations scientific report released in August states that a “strong, rapid and sustainable reduction in methane emissions” will reduce CO2 emissions and have an immediate impact on the climate.

The United States will issue methane regulations for oil and gas in the coming weeks, and the European Union will issue a comprehensive methane law later this year.

Larry Kramer, chairman of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, which contributed $ 200 million to the fund, told Reuters that “money can help increase climate activity” and that reducing methane to 1.5 degrees was the quickest way to reduce it. .

The partnership is a good start in drawing the world’s attention to the need to reduce methane, said Durwood Selke, chairman of the Washington-based Management and Sustainable Development Agency.

“There is one more step to save the planet from disaster – reduction of methane from all sources as soon as possible,” he said in an email prior to the announcement.

Report by Valery Volkovici; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Hugh Lawson

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