What’s going on here?
The fallout of COP29 has sparked conversations on the global stage about the lack of commitment to decarbonising economies. Although you wouldn’t know it from the headlines following COP29, significant progress was made in collectively committing to reduce methane emissions. More than 30 countries signed up to the Reducing Methane from Organic Waste Declaration, a new pledge setting sectoral targets in future NDCs to cut methane emissions from waste.
What does this mean?
This new initiative will support the Global Methane Pledge, which intends to cut overall methane emissions by 30% by 2030. $500m has also been pledged in new global grant funds for methane reduction initiatives, withmore than $2bn now raised for this issue in recent years.
Off the back of COP29, in the UK this week three major supermarkets partnered with Arla (a large dairy company) to help cows produce less methane by altering some of the ingredients in their feed.
Why should we care?
Cutting methane is crucial for tackling climate change. With humans responsible for 60% of emissions, predominantly stemming from agricultural practices, we need a serious shift to reverse the state-of-play globally. Limiting non-CO2 emissions like methane is fundamental for curbing the impacts of climate change. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is accountable for ~30% of global warming since pre-industrial levels.
Whilst decarbonising is crucial for mitigating the climate crisis, reducing methane emissions is equally as important. It is positive to see progress made at COP29 and also in businesses, hopefully indicating a more serious stance to curb methane emissions alongside decarbonisation efforts.
Be curious…
- The Carbon Brief have produced a thorough overview of COP29.
- For a more holistic understanding of how to reduce methane emissions, read this World Bank article.
- Consider your red meat and dairy consumption levels to try and reduce your own methane footprint.
Image credits: Mark Thiessen, via National Geographic.
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