⏳ Final hours! Save up to 60% OFF InvestingProCLAIM SALE

US-China advance work on curbing methane emissions, US deputy climate envoy says

Published 03/19/2024, 01:58 PM
Updated 03/19/2024, 02:12 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A general view of a coal mine, during a Huawei-organised media tour, in Yulin city, Shaanxi province, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang//File Photo

By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - Cooperation between the U.S. and China on methane is advancing, the deputy U.S. special envoy on climate change said on Tuesday, saying there was an opportunity for Beijing to slash emissions from its massive coal sector at little or no cost.

Rick Duke, the climate envoy, told Reuters the two countries, which are the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters, were working together to curb the potent gas as part of a working group formed last year with the broader aim of addressing the climate crisis.

"We are, indeed, in the process of propelling that work together," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a methane forum in Geneva. "That is a tremendous opportunity, given the magnitude of the mitigation potential in both countries, but above all in China."

Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide and in the short term has a far higher warming effect. But its short lifespan in the world's atmosphere compared with other greenhouse gases means that action on methane can produce quicker results.

Duke praised China's work so far on setting methane targets.

"There's nothing that compares in the speed of benefit to the climate, to cutting methane. And so having the world's biggest emitter joining in that effort through the Paris (climate) agreement architecture is tremendously important," he said.

Methane that seeps from coal mines, which Duke said amounted to 700 million tonnes of emissions a year in China, could be eliminated at a very low cost or even at a negative cost. "We are excited about the potential there," he said.

China is the world's largest source of methane from coal mines, with 28% of the world's biggest methane emissions points, according to Kayrros, a firm that tracks emissions.

Beijing has sent a team to the U.N.-organised meeting in Geneva, which is the biggest ever meeting on the topic and aims to help countries fulfill their methane pledges. Liu Wenge, vice president from the Ministry of Emergency Management, told the meeting that China was committed to strengthening methane emission control in key sectors and cooperating with all countries.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A general view of a coal mine, during a Huawei-organised media tour, in Yulin city, Shaanxi province, China April 24, 2023. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang//File Photo

Efforts to monitor methane are advancing with an increasing number of satellites boosting monitoring from space, including through a new U.N. observatory.

Duke said that soon such efforts were key to identifying so-called "super emitters" from the oil and gas firms, calling these: "low hanging fruit that we definitely want to harvest". "It's very timely and important....(We and partners) are making sure that its data for methane action, not just sort of data," he said.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.