Page 7 - AfrElec Week 41 2021

AfrElec METHANE AfrElec

Global Methane Pledge

attracts 24 new supporters

ASIA A total of 24 new countries have now joined the and mines.
US- and EU-backed Global Methane Pledge It noted that the Global Methane Pledge
in a bid to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees called for just a 30% reduction in global methane
Celsius. emissions from human activity by 2030.
The US State Department said that the new Meanwhile, more than 20 philanthropic
backers included France, Germany, Japan, Nige- organisation announced on October 11 com-
ria, Pakistan, the Philippines. bined commitments of over $200mn to support
The addition of the new supporters means implementation of the Global Methane Pledge.
that nine of the world’s top 20 methane emitters “Reducing methane is the single fastest action
are now participating in the Pledge, representing we can take to keep a 1.5°C future within reach,”
about 30% of global methane emissions and 60% said John Kerry.
of the global economy. “In 2016, philanthropy committed fast start
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John funding that helped us secure and implement
Kerry, European Commission Executive Vice the landmark Kigali Amendment on HFCs.
President Frans Timmermans and Executive Now they are stepping with over four times as
Director of the United Nations Environment much support for governments to deliver on the
Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen said that Global Methane Pledge to cut methane at least
rapidly reducing methane emissions was the sin- 30% globally by 2030.”
gle most effective strategy to reduce near-term Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and,
global warming and to limiting global warming according to the latest report by the Intergov-
to 1.5 degrees Celsius. ernmental Panel on Climate Change, accounts
The move comes after the IEA urged more for about half of the 1.0 degree Celsius net rise
focus on cutting methane to meet climate tar- in global average temperature since the pre-in-
gets. Quick action is needed because eventual dustrial era, making methane action an essential
declines in demand for fossil fuels alone will not complement to energy sector decarbonization.
achieve rapid enough reductions of methane Countries joining the Global Methane
emissions to forestall the worst effects of climate Pledge commit to a collective goal of reducing
change, it said. global methane emissions by at least 30% from
In the IEA’s Roadmap to Net Zero Emis- 2020 levels by 2030 and moving towards using
sions by 2050, released in May, methane emis- highest tier IPCC good practice inventory meth-
sions from fossil fuel operations fall by around odologies to quantify methane emissions, with
75% between 2020 and 2030. About one-third a particular focus on high emission sources.
of this decline is a result of an overall reduction Successful implementation of the Pledge would
in fossil fuel consumption, but the larger share reduce warming by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius
comes from measures and technologies aimed by 2050.™
at reducing emissions in existing fields, pipelines

Week 41 14•October•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P7