President Joe Biden is expected to present plans at COP26, aiming to limit global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by the end of the decade.
In fact, Biden’s call is supported by an alliance of 90 countries. Nevertheless, China, India and Russia remain outside the newly formed Global Methane Pledge.
What is more, this pledge is seen by many attending this month’s talks in Scotland as one of the biggest announcements likely to come out of COP26.
Furthermore, an August report by IPCC found that while benefits for air quality would come quickly, it could take 20-30 years to see global temperatures stabilize.
Among others, the report shows that emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are responsible for approximately 1.1°C of warming since 1850-1900, and finds that averaged over the next 20 years, global temperature is expected to reach or exceed 1.5°C of warming.
The report projects that in the coming decades, climate changes will increase in all regions. For 1.5°C of global warming, there will be increasing heat waves, longer warm seasons and shorter cold seasons. At 2°C of global warming, heat extremes would more often reach critical tolerance thresholds for agriculture and health, the report shows.
But it is not just about temperature. Climate change is bringing multiple different changes in different regions – which will all increase with further warming. These include changes to wetness and dryness, to winds, snow and ice, coastal areas and oceans.
Stabilizing the climate will require strong, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and reaching net-zero CO2 emissions. Limiting other greenhouse gases and air pollutants, especially methane, could have benefits both for health and the climate
…said IPCC Working Group I Co-Chair Panmao Zhai.
