EDF Statement: UN methane report underscores need to move quickly from promise to delivery

(London) Environmental Defense Fund Executive Vice President, Impact, Angela Churie Kallhauge issued the following statement today in response to the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for accelerated global action to cut methane emissions during London Climate Action Week:  

“The Secretary-General is right: cutting methane is one of the clearest tests of whether the world can deliver on its climate promises.  We applaud his leadership and UNEP’s years of work to bring the world to this point. The tools to find methane pollution are here, and the solutions to cut it are within reach. Now governments, industry, financial institutions and civil society must show how they will deliver by turning existing commitments, better data and growing momentum into immediate, measurable reductions.

Fossil fuel methane is the fastest near-term opportunity. Leaks, venting and flaring waste energy and create avoidable pollution. At the same time, a credible methane response must quickly scale practical, ready-to-deploy solutions across agriculture, including manure management and more efficient production, and the waste sector, where cutting methane can also reduce pollution and improve public health.  

EDF is already meeting this moment with science and technologies that makes methane pollution visible, policies and standards that drive reductions, finance tools that reward performance, and partnerships that help hold actors accountable.” 

Background

• Methane is one of the most powerful tools the world has to slow warming in the near term. The Secretary-General’s report makes clear that methane action is now an implementation test. Governments, companies, financial institutions and civil society must show how they will turn better data, stronger commitments and growing momentum into immediate, measurable reductions. 
• The report sets out a broad methane agenda across fossil fuels, agriculture and waste. Fossil fuel methane remains the fastest, most measurable and most cost-effective near-term opportunity. Leaks, venting and flaring waste a valuable resource and increase climate pollution. Cutting oil and gas methane is also part of credible transition implementation: reducing avoidable pollution from today’s energy system while the world accelerates the shift to cleaner energy.
• Agriculture is also essential to the methane delivery agenda. We can produce food more efficiently, more sustainably and with lower emissions. Practical solutions — including improved productivity, manure management, and feed supplements to lower methane in cow burps — are ready for on-farm adoption. Technical assistance, supportive policy and targeted finance must help make these solutions affordable and actionable for farmers.  Together, these enabling conditions will ensure that we reduce methane while supporting food security, rural livelihoods and farmer resilience.  
• The challenge now is to convert momentum into delivery. That means stronger standards and nations plans from governments; methane cuts across oil and gas operations and supply chains; practical solutions in agriculture and waste; capital directed toward methane abatement; and civil society engagement to strengthen transparency, accountability and follow-through.
• EDF will continue to focus where we can make the greatest contribution: science and technology that make methane pollution visible; policies and standards that drive reductions; market and finance tools that reward real methane performance; partnerships with companies, investors and national oil companies where action can reduce emissions quickly; livestock and agricultural methane solutions that support food security and rural livelihoods; and accountability work with the International Energy Agency, UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, OGMP 2.0, governments and civil society. EDF also recognizes the important role of the Global Methane Hub in supporting the broader ecosystem needed to accelerate methane action worldwide.