Biden administration to limit U.S. methane emissions, restore forests

U.S. President Joe Biden has said one of the most important things the world can do is reduce methane emissions as quickly as possible.

“It’s one of the most potent greenhouse gases there is,” he told COP26 attendees at the launch of the Global Methane Pledge, a pact to cut methane emissions by 30% by the end of the decade. “It amounts to about half the warming we’re experiencing today.”

Biden said signatories to the pact “could probably go beyond” the pledge’s 30% reduction target.

“Today [almost] 100 countries are signing on to the pledge, accounting for half of global methane emissions or 70% of global GDP,” he said. “It’s going to make a huge difference, not just when it comes to fighting climate change — it’s going to improve health, improve food supply and boost economies.”