UAE – Global leaders at COP28 have unveiled several initiatives targeting methane emissions, a move met with cautious optimism by campaigners seeking further action to address emissions from livestock.
Hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the summit emphasized the urgency for parties to the Paris Agreement to submit comprehensive, economy-wide national climate targets (NDCs) by 2035, covering all greenhouse gases, not solely CO2.
This echoes a recent commitment made by the US and China under their new bilateral climate accord.
Notably, a consortium comprising national governments, philanthropic entities, and the private sector pledged over US$1 billion in grant funding toward methane reduction efforts, focusing on the Methane Finance Sprint.
While details on agricultural methane investment remain scarce, the UK government stated its contribution will aid in reducing emissions from major methane sources such as energy, agriculture, and waste.
The US government, co-convening the methane and non-CO2 greenhouse gases summit alongside China and the UAE, announced stringent standards aimed at slashing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. However, their statement lacked direct mention of agriculture or livestock.
Campaigners, like Nuša Urbancic of the Changing Markets Foundation, stressed the criticality of addressing methane emissions from livestock, urging government regulations mandating corporations to invest in mitigation and set reduction targets.
Philanthropic organizations, including the Bezos Earth Fund, pledged US$450 million to expedite the phase-down of non-CO2 climate pollutants, primarily focusing on methane abatement.
The urgency was highlighted, advocating for mandatory measures across sectors like oil and gas, agriculture, and waste to achieve emission reductions essential for the 1.5°C climate goal.
The launch of the Global Methane Hub’s Enteric Methane R+D Accelerator, backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and Danone, emphasizes collaborative efforts to cut methane emissions from fresh milk production by 30% by 2030.
Professor Ngonidzashe Chirinda underscored the necessity for funding research into livestock methane solutions, emphasizing the importance of embracing existing solutions and transitioning towards diets with reduced meat and dairy consumption.
The call by COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber for all greenhouse gases to be part of NDCs was commended, signaling an imperative shift in monitoring pollutants like black carbon and methane, potentially driving nations to address these emissions.
The Global Methane Pledge saw additional signatories committing to reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
The US positioned itself as a frontrunner in methane commitments with stringent regulations, while the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) garnered support from major industry players committing to net-zero operations by 2050.
Despite these strides, NGOs emphasized the necessity for a fossil fuel phase-out commitment, citing voluntary pledges as insufficient in addressing the pressing climate crisis.
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