A crucial milestone in cutting in global methane emissions

 

Climate experts have welcomed this as one of the most significant milestones yet towards fulfilling the Paris Agreement. It is a gamechanger for this industry.

Over its first 10 years in the atmosphere methane has about 86 times more global warming potential than CO2. 

 

So when it comes to cutting emissions “there is nothing else that can help to control the climate crisis as quickly,”  says Rick Duke, the newly appointed co-chair of the UN’s Climate & Clean Air Coalition. 

 

“The Global Methane Assessment is already helping to signal that this is a massive opportunity that stakeholders should prioritise for investment.”

The CCAC’s Global Methane Assessment and EU’s Methane Strategy published earlier this year placed anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas in the vanguard of readily available, low-cost technologies to deliver cuts in methane emissions across agriculture, waste management and wastewater treatment. 

 

As indeed it should be – 18% of methane emissions worldwide are derived from rotting organic wastes, according to the Global Methane Initiative.

Every country now has an easy win for addressing Climate Change. And with WBA’s own report "Biogas: Pathways to 2030" outlining the various policy options countries have to support the rapid deployment of AD, the tools are at their disposal.

In parallel we now need to urgently focus on how we as an industry are going to deliver.

That is why we are hosting a series of critical events to fast-track the industry on the road to success.

At our Open House on 28th September WBA will launch new Working Groups to identify and develop solutions to the hurdles to biogas development.

On 7th October we will be hosting online “Biogas: Opportunities in India” in conjunction with the Indian Biogas Association. The country is seeking partners to deliver on its over 1,000TWh of biogas potential.

WBA is also partnering with the World LPG Association to co-host the virtual conference “Biogases: Driving the transition from fossil to green” on 13th-14th October, where the huge commercial opportunities in these renewable gases will be explored.

WBA members get free and discounted rates on our events, market intelligence and lobbying services. Contact Zain Keshavjee to learn more about membership.

#togetherwecan help get the world back onto a sustainable footing. I hope you will join us and be part of the team facilitating all of our members to deliver a 10% reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. 

 

*Charlotte Morton is the Chief Executive at World Biogas Association*