- Nigeria disclosed plans to curb methane in line with the United Nations Environment Programme standards.
- Human activities in agriculture, waste, and fossil fuels account for more than half of global methane emissions.
Nigeria has unveiled its plan to curb methane in line with prescribed standards set by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). UNEP disclosed the plan at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, “An Eye on Methane: The Road to Radical Transparency”. This highlights how combining pioneering technology and the UN’s convening power could plug major methane emissions knowledge gaps and trigger action at the scale and speed needed to fulfil essential climate pledges.
At the event, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, said, “Nigeria is proud to partner with UNEP’s IMEO and the European Commission on a new project to conduct a baseline measurement study of methane emissions in Nigeria.” Lawal expressed optimism that the data from the campaign will be instrumental in driving Nigeria’s action on methane and fulfilling its commitments as a Global Methane Pledge Champion.
Human activities in agriculture, waste, and fossil fuels account for more than half of global methane emissions. With the current rate of human activities, methane levels could rise by up to 13 per cent between 2020 and 2030. Over this period, methane levels must fall by 30 per cent to 60 per cent to limit global warming to 1.5 °C. Fossil fuel operations would likely need to provide around half of this reduction in methane emissions. In addition, existing, often low-cost technology could be used to reduce more than three-quarters of methane emissions from oil and gas operations and half of emissions from coal.