Over 30 countries endorse COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste

Over 30 countries endorse COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste

Sub : Env

Sec: Int conventions

COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste:

• Over 30 countries, including eight of the 10 largest methane emitters from organic waste, endorsed the COP29 Declaration.
• Focus on setting sectoral targets for food waste within future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• Builds on the Global Methane Pledge (COP26), aiming to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
• CCAC (Climate and Clean Air Coalition) supports over 30 nations in including methane and other short-lived pollutants in their NDCs.

Priority Areas of the Declaration:

1. NDC Inclusion: Incorporating methane reduction targets in waste management.
2. Regulation: Learning from global best practices to improve waste policies.
3. Data: Leveraging satellite and on-site measurements for methane monitoring.
4. Finance: Investments in solid waste management and methane capture projects.
5. Partnerships: Global collaboration to share knowledge and best practices.

Significance of Methane in the Waste Sector:

• Methane contributes 1/3 of net warming since the pre-industrial era.
• Organic waste (food, yard waste, paper, bodily waste) decomposes in oxygen-free environments, emitting methane.
• Waste sector accounts for 20% of global anthropogenic methane emissions.

Global Leadership and Collaboration:

• COP29 builds on UAE‘s focus on oil and gas methane (COP28) and aligns with Brazil‘s expected focus on agriculture at COP30.
• The European Commission supports the declaration’s objectives but requires internal consultation for formal endorsement.

Sources of Methane emission-

• Methane is produced by the breakdown or decay of organic material and can be introduced into the atmosphere by either natural processes – such as the decay of plant material in wetlands, the seepage of gas from underground deposits or the digestion of food by cattle – or human activities – such as oil and gas production, rice farming or waste management.
• More than half of global methane emissions stem from human activities in three sectors: fossil fuels (35% of human-caused emissions), waste (20%) and agriculture (40%).

Why Act on Methane?

• Reducing methane mitigates climate change, improves public health, and safeguards groundwater around landfills.
• Waste management advancements present economic, environmental, and health benefits, making this a critical step forward.

Global Methane Pledge:

• The Global Methane Pledge was launched at the UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
• It is an effort led jointly by the United States and the European Union.
• Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, after carbon dioxide, and, therefore, pledges related to cutting down its emissions are significant.

Source: DTE