On the occasion of the 28th United Nations climate summit, U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry recently attended a major side meeting and mentioned at the venue that 155 countries or regions around the world have signed the "Global Methane Pledge" initiative to work together to reduce methane emissions and curb global warming.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a warming potential 30-80 times higher than carbon dioxide, mainly in areas such as energy, agriculture and waste management. Methane has a short lifespan, and controlling methane emissions can have a more immediate impact on the fight against climate change.
The Global Methane Pledge aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels, with a particular focus on high-emitting industries, and to develop real-time methane emissions monitoring tools to accurately quantify methane emission reductions. Fulfilling this commitment will reduce global warming by at least 02℃。
However, the initiative was not signed off by China, the world's largest methane emitter. Why is that?What are China's attitudes and actions towards methane emissions?
China has not signed the Global Methane Pledge, not because China does not attach importance to methane emission control, nor because China wants to evade climate responsibility, but because China has its own methane emission control action plan, and this plan is agreed to and has legal force and mandatory.
On November 7, 2023, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and 11 other departments jointly issued the "Methane Emission Control Action Plan", which is the top-level design document for methane emission management and control in China. The plan clarifies the overall objectives, key areas, main tasks and safeguard measures for methane emission control in China, covering five major areas, including coal, oil and gas, agriculture, urban and solid waste, and proposes a series of specific emission control measures and indicators.
Compared with the Global Methane Pledge, China's Methane Emission Control Action Plan is more comprehensive, systematic, scientific and operational, and better reflects China's national conditions, realities and capabilities, as well as China's initiative, enthusiasm and responsibility.
Therefore, China's failure to sign the Global Methane Pledge does not mean that China is unwilling to cooperate with the international community, but because China has better options, better solutions for itself, and stronger actions.
China is the world's largest emitter of methane and the world's largest methane emitter. Over the years, China has been attaching great importance to methane emission control, starting from the "China National Plan for Climate Change" formulated in 2007, to the "12th Five-Year Plan", "13th Five-Year Plan" and "14th Five-Year Plan" work plan for controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and then to the "Opinions of the Communist Party of China on Completely, Accurately and Comprehensively Implementing the New Development Concept and Doing a Good Job in Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality", all of which have made clear requirements for methane control.
In practice, China has also achieved remarkable results. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, in 2019, China's methane emission intensity per unit of GDP decreased by 23 percent compared with 20057%, exceeding the "13th Five-Year Plan" target.
In the field of energy, China has effectively reduced the fugitive emission of methane by promoting technologies such as coalbed methane exploitation and utilization, coal mine gas control, and oil and gas field leak detection and repair. In the field of agriculture, China has effectively reduced the bio-source emissions of methane by improving rice irrigation methods, promoting straw returning to the field, and controlling the number of ruminants.
In the field of municipal and solid waste, China has effectively utilized the renewable energy potential of methane by strengthening waste sorting, promoting biogas projects, and using landfill gas to generate electricity. It is estimated that in 2019, China's total methane emissions were 59.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, 0600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, equivalent to 4. % of total global methane emissions3%。
These achievements and contributions fully demonstrate China's responsibility and responsibility in methane emission control, and also set an example and benchmark for global climate governance.
Although China has made some progress in controlling methane emissions, it still faces many challenges and difficulties. On the one hand, with the rapid development of China's economy and society, the pressure on methane emissions is still large, especially in the fields of energy and agriculture, and the growth momentum of methane emissions is still difficult to contain.
On the other hand, China's methane emission monitoring, accounting and reporting capabilities need to be improved, the data and information on methane emissions are not accurate, transparent and complete enough, and the management and control of methane emissions still lack effective legal and policy support.
In order to cope with these challenges and difficulties, China needs to seize the opportunities and advantages of methane emission control and further strengthen the scientific management and effective control of methane emissions. On the one hand, China needs to make full use of the opportunities and advantages of methane emission control to further strengthen the scientific management and effective control of methane emissions.
China should accelerate the establishment of a unified national monitoring, accounting and reporting system for methane emissions, improve the quality and transparency of methane emissions data, timely announce the situation and results of China's methane emissions to the international community, and enhance China's voice and influence in climate negotiations.
It is also necessary to strengthen the formulation and implementation of laws and policies on methane emissions, formulate and improve mandatory standards and norms for methane emissions, establish and improve incentive and restraint mechanisms for methane emissions, and promote the implementation of methane emission control responsibilities and goals in various industries and regions.
China's failure to sign the Global Methane Pledge does not mean that China is not interested in methane emission control, but because China has its own methane emission control plan, and this plan is more in line with China's national conditions and reality, and can better reflect China's initiative and responsibility.
China has made certain achievements and contributions in methane emission control, but also faces some challenges and difficulties, and needs to further strengthen the scientific management and effective control of methane emissions, so as to make greater contributions to global climate governance.