The start of the second week of COP30 in Belém (Brazil) was marked on Monday 17 November by the launch of the Global Methane Status Report, the first comprehensive review of the world’s methane reduction commitments since their launch in Glasgow at COP26.
It assesses progress and persistent shortcomings in efforts to reduce methane - responsible for almost a third of current warming.
As the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, explained at a press conference, “we need to do more if we are to meet our global target of reducing methane emissions by 30% below 2020 levels by 2030”.
According to the report, measures such as leak detection and repair programmes need to be stepped up.
Once again, the Commissioner defended the implementation of the EU’s ‘methane’ regulation, which focuses on these elements (see EUROPE 13752/30).
The report goes on to say that measures in the energy sector offer 72% of the overall mitigation potential, followed by waste (18%) and agriculture (10%).
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Methane Action Plans could result in an 8% reduction by 2030 (compared to 2020). “If these measures were fully implemented, it would be the biggest drop [...] ever recorded”, said the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme).
To see the report: https://aeur.eu/f/jhx (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)