Published 11/2/2021 6:07 PM / Updated 11/2/2021 6:07 PM
Gas builds up in the rumen, one of the four stomachs of cattle, until it comes out of the mouth – (Image source: Getty Images)
Brazil and more than 100 Countries met at COP26 On Tuesday (2/11), it signed an agreement pledging to reduce methane emissions by 30%. The target should be achieved by 2030, compared to the 2020 figures.
Methane is obtained from open-pit coal mines and livestock. The gas is produced by ruminants such as oxen and sheep, and accumulates in the rumen, one of the four stomachs of the animals, until it comes out of the mouth – like a burp.
The gas has a greenhouse effect about 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide (CO2), and is responsible for 30% of global warming since the Industrial Revolution period, according to the United Nations Environment Program.
Brazil, the world’s largest beef producer, has been reluctant to sign the agreement. According to sources heard by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, US government pressure was crucial to Brazilian participation.
“We need to act on reducing methane emissions as quickly as possible. Together, we are committed to reducing our emissions by 30% by 2030. Today, countries responsible for about half of the world’s methane emissions have signed up to this agreement,” said Joe Biden, President of the United States. United, in a speech on the third day of the conference, held in Glasgow, Scotland, “would make a huge difference”.
Joe called for “more countries to join” in the pledge, which could be a message to China, India and Russia. The three countries, along with Brazil and Argentina, are included in the group of the five largest methane exporters on the planet, but they have not signed the agreement.
In a joint statement of G20 leaders, posted on the Itamaraty website, the countries acknowledge the significant contribution of methane emissions to climate change, and say that “reduction can be one of the fastest, most effective and cost-effective ways to reduce climate change and its impacts.” “We welcome the contribution of various institutions in this regard and take note of specific initiatives on methane, including the establishment of the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). We will continue to enhance collaboration to improve data collection, validation and measurement to support GHG inventory and provide high-quality scientific data.”
agreement to save forests
Participating countries COP26 He also pledged to end illegal deforestation by 2030. “Our forests are nature’s way of capturing carbon, and getting carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” said US President Joe Biden.
These measures will support a fund of $12 billion in public money contributed by 12 countries between 2021 and 2025, in addition to $7.2 billion in private investment by more than 30 global financial institutions, including giants such as Aviva, Schroders and AXA. The measures should support activities in developing countries, such as restoring degraded lands, fighting forest fires, and defending the rights of indigenous communities.
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