A global Methane Pledge will be launched at the UN Climate Change Conference at Glasgow COP26 in November. The pledge will commit countries to a collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030 and moving towards using best available inventory methodologies to quantify methane emissions, with a particular focus on high emission sources. The pledge is an initiative of the USA and European Union.
Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas. Methane (CH4) emissions need to be reigned in along with carbon dioxide to meet the Paris climate agreement temperature targets.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 6th Assessment report on climate change warns that "Strong, rapid and sustained reductions in CH4 emissions would also limit the warming effect resulting from declining aerosol pollution and would improve air quality."
Update 28 October: The Nationals carved out agriculture and any methane emissions reduction as part of commitment to support Net Zero by 2050 plan. Australia will not sign the Global Methane Pledge at COP26.
