UK's Green Ambitions in Jeopardy as Analysis Shows Methane Emission Cuts Fall Short

The UK government's "green" ambitions have been called into question, with analysis revealing that the country is falling short of meeting its international commitments to reduce methane emissions, The Guardian reports.

UK Falling Short of Methane Emissions Goal

The Green Alliance think tank conducted the analysis, which found that the government's policies would only reduce UK methane output by about 14% by 2030, compared to 2020.

This falls far short of the target of reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030, which the UK agreed to as part of the global methane pledge made before the Cop26 summit in Glasgow in 2021.

Despite the government's "green day" of energy announcements over a week ago, the plans have not gone far enough to meet the global methane pledge target.

The government intends to introduce methane-suppressing feed for livestock in 2025 and to ban the disposal of biodegradable waste in landfills in 2028, but these measures alone will be insufficient.

How the UK Can Catch Up with Lagging Emission Goals

To meet the global methane pledge targets, the Green Alliance recommends additional measures such as:

• Accelerating the ban on flaring and venting.
• Requiring landfill operators to capture methane at a higher rate.
• Repairing the UK's existing leaky gas mains at a faster pace.
• Encouraging speedier uptake of methane-suppressing livestock feed.

These measures could help the country achieve a 40% reduction by 2030.

How Methane Impacts the Climate Crisis

One of the quickest and most certain ways to mitigate the climate crisis's worst effects is to reduce methane emissions drastically.

Available data suggest that methane has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide in the first 20 years after it enters the atmosphere. Even though CO2 has a longer-lasting effect, methane drives warming in the short term.

According to the scientific consensus, reducing methane emissions could reduce global temperature rises by up to 0.5 degrees Celsius within a few decades.

The UK government's analysis tells us it is falling short of its overall climate pledge to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

More than 100 countries have signed the global methane pledge, but global methane emissions continue to rise, and many countries have been underreporting their methane output.

Moreover, The Guardian reports that satellite imagery provides a clearer picture of global emissions than ever before, revealing the existence of over 1,000 "super-emitting" methane sites worldwide.

UK Disagree with Analysis

The Guardian also writes that the UK government disputes the findings of the Green Alliance, claiming that it has taken early and ambitious steps to reduce methane emissions.

Nonetheless, more must be done to meet the global methane pledge targets and achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

In order to meet its international commitments and overall climate pledge of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the UK must take more decisive action to reduce methane emissions.

Green Deal

In related news, the European Commission has just unveiled the Green Deal, a proposal to fundamentally redesign Europe's energy, transportation, and food systems.

The Green Deal is expected to necessitate around €1 trillion ($1.05 trillion) in long-term investments and will require significant political will to become law.

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