Global Methane Pledge

• The Global Methane Pledge was launched at the UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
• It is jointly led by the United States and the European Union.
• Main Objective- To cut down methane emissions by up to 30 per cent from 2020 levels by the year 2030.
• So far, over 90 countries have signed this pledge.

Need :

• Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
• According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, it accounts for about half of the 1.0 degrees Celsius net rise in global average temperature since the pre-industrial era.
• Reducing methane emissions is regarded as an effective strategy to reduce global warming and achieve the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Importance of methane for climate change:

• Methane is 80-85 times more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide because it absorbs more heat energy while it is in the atmosphere.
• Also , Methane is a powerful pollutant and has a global warming potential that is 80 times greater than carbon dioxide.
• Increasing emissions are driving a rise in tropospheric ozone air pollution, which causes more than one million premature deaths annually.

Methane mitigation potential:

• Europe - greatest potential to curb methane emissions from farming, fossil fuel operations and waste management.
• India - greatest potential to reduce methane emissions in the waste sector.
• China- greatest potential to reduce methane emissions in coal production and livestock.
• Africa- greatest potential to reduce methane emissions in livestock, followed by oil and gas.
• Fossil fuel industry- greatest potential to reduce methane emissions for low-cost methane cuts.

Indian Initiatives to curb Methane:

• ‘Harit Dhara’ (HD): An anti-methanogenic feed supplement developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which can cut down cattle methane emissions by 17-20% and can also result in higher milk production.
• India Greenhouse Gas Program: Led by WRI India (non-profit organization), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), it is an industry-led voluntary framework that builds comprehensive measurement and management strategies to reduce emissions and drive more profitable, competitive and sustainable businesses and organisations in India.
• National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): It aims at creating awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, industry and the communities on the threat posed by climate change and the steps to counter it.
• Bharat Stage-VI Norms: India has shifted from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms.

Way forward:

• Human-caused methane emissions has to be cut by 45 per cent to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
• It may prevent a rise in global warming by up to 0.3 degrees Celsius by 2045.
• It would also prevent 260,000 premature deaths, 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits annually, as well as 25 million tonnes of crop losses.
• Also, reducing food waste and loss, improving livestock management and adopting healthy diets (vegetarian or with a lower meat and dairy content) may help reduce methane emissions by 65–80 million tonnes per year over the next few decades.