Methane had a major moment on the world’s stage last week at the annual United Nations climate conference when more than 100 countries pledged to reduce global methane emissions by 30% this decade. Not only that, we also saw the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency propose enhanced protections to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas infrastructure nationwide. Both actions are critically important to help rapidly cut emissions of a potent climate pollutant that’s driving at least a quarter of current global warming.
The acute focus on the world’s methane problem — and consequently what to do about it — was elevated in the most recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. But it’s also been the result of tireless decades of work and effort led by scientists, policy experts and environmental advocates who have been actively studying the major sources of methane emissions in search of potential solutions. Many stopped by the Methane Moment pavilion at COP 26 to share insights about what led to this moment, and where we go from here.
Some highlights from week one:
- New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham sat down with EDF’s Mark Brownstein to talk in depth about what the second-largest oil-producing state in the U.S. is doing to control methane emissions and create climate, health and economic benefits for local communities.
- Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards also joined a discussion about the important role oil-and-gas producing states like Louisiana can play in the energy transition, while drawing attention to the destructive path of numerous hurricanes on coastal cities.
- Leading satellite experts spoke about the future of methane-detecting technologies, discussing how this new frontier of pollution-sniffing orbital sensors will transform climate emissions tracking of methane with frequent measurements at unparalleled accuracy.
- Philanthropic organizations, including Bloomberg Philanthropies, discussed how investments have and can continue to scale global efforts to reduce emissions.
- EDF’s Senior Climate Scientist Ilissa Ocko shared clips from her recent TED Talk on methane, underscoring the wide feasibility of finding and fixing methane leaks from human sources and that by doing so, we could slow the current warming rate by 30%.
Week two of COP is already underway, as is a full suite of more methane programming, discussions and insights. Don’t miss these past and upcoming VIP methane panels:
- Nov. 11: EPA Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator, Joe Goffman and EDF President Fred Krupp discuss the importance of EPA’s new oil and gas methane rules.
- Nov. 8: U.S. environmental justice efforts and leaders within the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council discuss the Justice 40 program, and how methane regulations can help the U.S. achieve its climate targets.
To stay up to date with everything that’s happening around methane at this year’s climate conference, visit methanemoment.org, subscribe to the Methane Moment YouTube channel, or follow along on twitter with #COP26 and #CutMethane.