EU, US call for a reduction in methane emissions

The European Union (EU) and the United States of America (US) have expressed their desire to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane, and have called on countries around the world to support them.

The White House and the European Commission said, Saturday, that an identical initiative will be launched at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, and among other things, the countries comprising the initiative will commit to the common goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.

US President Joe Biden hosted video calls in preparation for the conference in Glasgow with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others.

Biden and von der Leyen also promoted the methane initiative during the conversation, and in addition to the United States and the European Union, Mexico, Italy, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, and Argentina have already announced their support for the initiative, according to a joint statement.

Methane is generated, for example, from agriculture, landfills, or the oil and gas industry, and according to the German Federal Environment Agency, methane is 25 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.