In response to the news that Australia will sign the Global Methane Pledge, Suzanne Harter, Climate Change and Clean Energy Campaigner at the Australian Conservation Foundation, said:
“ACF welcomes the Albanese government’s announcement that Australia will sign the Global Methane Pledge – an important international push to tackle a potent climate pollutant.
“Farmers are already working to reduce methane from their livestock and agriculture, but we have not seen the same initiative from the coal and gas sector, which is a big contributor to Australia’s methane problem.
“Huge volumes of methane leak and are released into the atmosphere from operating and disused coal mines and gas projects.
“Methane that leaks from Australia’s coal mines is a particularly bad problem, outstripping even gas in the size of its climate damaging footprint and raising concerns about the accuracy of Australia’s methane measurement and reporting.
“Cutting methane emissions is low hanging fruit when it comes to rapidly reducing some of our most potent climate heating emissions.
“Joining the pledge means contributing to the global goal of reducing methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 while also improving the transparency and accuracy of methane reporting.
“With relatively cheap solutions available to quickly reduce methane from coal mines and gas operations, there’s no time to waste in taking responsible action on methane in Australia.
“It’s good to see the government helping farmers and livestock producers cut methane from their businesses, because solutions in their industries are more costly and complex.”
