US will propose new regulations to reduce methane emissions at COP26

US President’s Administration, This Tuesday, at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Joe Biden will propose a new regulation aimed at reducing methane emissions.

This US government-developed project includes a series of bases for oil and gas exploration, as well as pipelines – a sector responsible for 30 percent of the country’s emissions – as the White House explained in a statement.

“By tackling methane emissions, spurring innovation, and supporting sustainable agriculture, President Biden today announced bold steps that will advance America’s clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs.” Expressed by Washington.

Thus, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, for its English acronym) has set forth a series of observations relating to gas and oil production in such a way as to suggest extending and strengthening existing regulations on new facilities, to a par that would require country states to develop plans to reduce emissions from existing facilities, and to collect ‘The hill’.

According to the government, with these new regulations, the EPA is seeking to reduce methane emissions by approximately 75 percent, while reducing the presence of compounds that form fog and generate toxicity in the air.

In the above statement from The White House also acknowledges attempts by the Department of the Interior to punish the release or flaring of excess gas, as it will propose a system that would require oil and gas prospectors to pay fees to the government. When released or burned.

Thus, there is talk of tariffs for oil and gas companies that emit methane above the established threshold. In the same way, $775 million – approximately 668 million euros – will be applied in grants to help and encourage companies to stay below the said ceiling, the series notes. CNN.

“Rate and rules should be complementary tools (…) Rules are crucial because, if properly designed, they ensure comprehensive cuts across the board. Tariffs have the potential to increase regulation by achieving faster and possibly additional cuts”, head of the Environmental Defense Fund, John Goldstein, for the above series.

With regard to agriculture, the relevant department will seek to adopt alternative methods of manure management that reduce emissions and renewable energy generated on farms and increase investments in innovations to address methane emissions from the sector.

Previously, the Biden administration and the European Union had already launched a global initiative that aims to reduce 30 percent of the world’s methane emissions by 50 percent by 2030.

Advocates of tackling methane emissions have argued that it might be a quick way to slow global warming, since methane is more powerful than carbon dioxide, an issue that was highlighted when the United Nations in August called for “strong, rapid and sustainable reductions” in emissions of that gas.

(With information from Europa Press)

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