Ahoy friends. Everybody feeling prepared to board the SS COP26? We recommend deep breaths. It won’t help with the chaos that is everyone’s email inboxes right now, but oxygen to the brain can promote a much needed state of calm (or so we’ve heard).
Here’s what’s happening in methane
Global Methane Pledge gang grows
The number of signers of the Global Methane Pledge has nearly doubled to 60 countries, per European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen this morning. At the previous count two weeks ago, the U.S and EU had found 32 co-signers to join the pledge, accounting for almost a third of global methane emissions. (Bloomberg)
Methane’s big day is scheduled for Nov. 2.
We might be biased, but we think the Pledge event will be one of the highlights of the World Leaders’s Summit taking place on Monday and Tuesday. The Pledge is an important demonstration of ambition – we must make drastic cuts to methane emissions if the world is to stay on a path to 1.5°C.
“We are way off track”
The World Meteorological Organization released its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin this week, reporting record atmospheric concentrations of methane, along with CO2 and nitrous oxide, despite the global pandemic resulting in a slight decrease in overall emissions. Methane has reached 262% over preindustrial levels. (AP, Guardian, Reuters, NPR)
Around the world… and down the street
Supersized methane leaks were detected in the U.K. just ahead of COP. This is the 12th country in which Methane Moment organizing partner Clean Air Task Force has recorded methane emissions in this year alone. That adds to extensive work done by Earthworks, Greenpeace and others in North and South America. Everywhere an OGI camera gets pointed, methane is leaking or being vented from oil and gas facilities. (Bloomberg, Financial Times)
Methane in the headlines
- Good readings for getting up to speed on methane (October 22) – Yale Climate Connections
- Rocky Mountain high: U.S. looks to Colorado for methane emissions policy (October 25) – Reuters
- Satellites used to track methane leaks in climate fight (October 27) – AFP
- Meat and dairy giants feed climate crisis by dragging their heels on methane (October 27) – The Guardian
- Big Methane Plume Seen From Space On Day Of Russian Pipe Repair (October 25) – Bloomberg
- EU Parliament seeks legal clampdown on planet-warming methane emissions (October 21) – Reuters
Upcoming events in Methane:
- 30 October: G20 Leaders Summit in Rome
- 31 October: COP26 Begins
- 1 November: Opening: Methane Moment Pavilion
- 9:30 – Interview: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
- 10:30 – Interview; Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards
- 16:30 – Panel: Opportunities Abound: A sectoral look at reducing methane emissions this decade
- 2 November: Global Methane Pledge signing
- 9:30 – Interview: Methane mitigation in Colombia with Minister of Mines and Energy Diego Mesa
- 10:30 – Panel: The Permian Climate Bomb with methane hunter Sharon Wilson and impacted community members
- 16:00 – Panel: Turning Pledges Into Action
Bessie With the Good Hair
(Climate change is scary. Scotland’s highland cattle – aka hairy coos – are very cute. Cattle generate a lot of methane: Sustainable farming practices are an important part of solving climate change.)
This rascally ruminant wants to know how everyone’s doing with T-4 days? We feelin’ ready? Bessie’s ready.
