The presidency of COP29 has launched a groundbreaking new agreement aimed at curbing the use of one of the most potent greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.
According to Azerbaijan’s AZERTAC news agency, the new agreement, unveiled at the conference, targets reducing methane emissions from organic waste.
More than 30 countries, collectively responsible for 47% of global methane emissions from organic waste, have pledged to set sector-specific goals for methane reduction as part of their future nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Among the signatories are seven of the ten largest methane emitters from organic waste globally. These nations have committed to implementing concrete policies and roadmaps to achieve these sectoral methane targets.
This agreement, developed in collaboration with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition under the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), builds on the progress of previous COPs by supporting the implementation of the 2021 Global Methane Pledge launched at COP26. The new pledge establishes a global goal to cut methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
Organic waste is the third-largest source of human-caused methane emissions, following agriculture and fossil fuels, making action in this sector critical to achieving the goals of the Global Methane Pledge.
In early 2024, a satellite was launched with the primary objective of detecting and identifying the worst methane emitters in the global oil and gas industry. According to "The Guardian", the satellite, named MethaneSat, was launched in March from California aboard a SpaceX rocket.
The satellite is expected to provide the first nearly comprehensive global view of potent greenhouse gas leaks from the oil and gas sector. All data, said to be higher in resolution than that of current satellites, will be made publicly available over broader areas.
Methane, also known as natural gas, is responsible for 30% of global warming driving the climate crisis. The primary human-related sources of methane emissions are leaks from the fossil fuel industry, and reducing these leaks is one of the fastest ways to slow global temperature increases.
MethaneSat was developed by the U.S.-based Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) in partnership with the New Zealand Space Agency. The total cost of its construction and launch was $88 million.
