Major methane deal at climate summit — without China

GLASGOW, United Kingdom, November 7 ------ Countries on Tuesday issued a landmark pledge to slash their methane emissions this decade, with US President Joe Biden chiding China’s leader for skipping the make-or-break COP26 climate summit. Nearly one hundred nations joined a United States and European Union initiative to cut emissions of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — by at least 30 percent this decade, with China among notable absentees.

The initiative, which experts say could have a powerful short-term impact on global heating, followed an announcement earlier on Tuesday at the summit in Glasgow in which more than 100 nations agreed to end deforestation by 2030. “One of the most important things we can do between now and 2030, to keep 1.5C in reach, is reduce our methane emissions as soon as possible,” said Biden, referring to the central goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement. He called the pledge, covering half of global methane emissions, a “game-changing commitment”. However, he criticized the decision of China’s President Xi Jinping — whose economy is the largest overall emitter — not to attend the summit kicking off the 13-day climate negotiations.

“It’s been a big mistake, quite frankly, for China not showing up. The rest of the world looked at China and said, “what value are they providing?’,” Biden told reporters. “It’s just is a gigantic issue and they walked away. How do you do that and claim to be able to have any leadership?” Biden said. The same was true for Russian President Vladimir Putin, he added. Heads of state and government are gathered in Glasgow for the two-day summit that host Britain is hoping will spur ambitious climate action during the negotiations that follow.

Organizers say the outcome in Glasgow will be crucial for the continued viability of the Paris Agreement temperature goals. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday he was “cautiously optimistic” about progress made in Glasgow so far.

Source: mb.com.ph