The Biden administration announced an ambitious new plan on Saturday to dramatically curb methane emissions, the second biggest cause of global warming after carbon dioxide. It would require oil and gas producers to detect and fix leaks of methane for the first time.
The announcement came as the United Nations hosted the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, where Vice President Kamala Harris delivered brief remarks. “We must have the ambition to meet this moment, to accelerate our investments and to lead with courage and conviction,” she said.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimated that the new rule would prevent 58 million tons of methane emissions from 2024 to 2038—roughly equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted annually by coal-fired power plants in the United States. The administrative rule doesn’t need congressional approval and will take effect next year, although conservative groups are likely to challenge it in court. (The US Supreme Court has already placed limits on the administration’s efforts to fight climate change.)
Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, called the policy “the most impactful climate rule that the United States has ever adopted in terms of addressing temperatures we would otherwise see.”
In a separate announcement at the UN summit, the world’s 50 largest oil producers reached a new pact to reduce methane emissions by 80 to 90 percent by the end of the decade.
Still, environmental groups have criticized Biden for not doing more to fight climate change by targeting fossil fuels like oil, coal, and gas. The administration has approved new drilling leases this year and domestic oil production has surged. The United States is poised to extract record amounts of oil and gas in 2023, which is on track to be the hottest year on record. Biden skipped the UN summit to focus on other issues, including Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Environmentalists have also faulted the UN for holding the summit in the United Arab Emirates, one of the world’s largest oil producers. The president of the summit is the head of the state-owned oil company.
Serikali ya Biden imetoa mpango mpya wa kupunguza uzalishaji wa gesi ya methane, ambayo ni sababu ya pili ya ongezeko la joto duniani baada ya kaboni dioksidi. Hii inamaanisha kuwa wazalishaji wa mafuta na gesi watakuwa na uwezo wa kugundua na kurekebisha uvujaji wa gesi ya methane. Taarifa hiyo ilitolewa wakati Umoja wa Mataifa ulipokuwa ukikaribisha mkutano wa kilele wa hali ya hewa wa COP28 huko Dubai, ambapo Makamu wa Rais Kamala Harris alitoa taarifa fupi. "Ni lazima tuwe na tamaa ya kukutana na wakati huu, kuharakisha uwekezaji wetu na kuongoza kwa ujasiri na imani", alisema. Shirika la Ulinzi wa Mazingira limekadiria kuwa sheria hiyo mpya itazuia kutolewa kwa metani milioni 58 kuanzia mwaka wa 2024 hadi 2038, kiasi kinacholingana na kiasi cha kaboni dioksidi inayotokana na mitambo ya umeme inayotumia makaa ya mawe nchini Marekani. Kanuni hiyo ya kiutawala haihitaji idhini ya bunge na itaanza kutumika mwaka ujao, ingawa vikundi vya kihafidhina vinaweza kuipinga mahakamani. Mahakama ya juu ya Marekani imeweka mipaka kwa juhudi za serikali ya Marekani ya kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. "Fred Krupp, rais wa Mfuko wa Ulinzi wa Mazingira, aliita sera hiyo ""sheria ya hali ya hewa yenye athari kubwa zaidi ambayo Marekani imewahi kupitisha kwa suala la kushughulikia joto ambalo tungeliona vinginevyo."" ""Katika tangazo tofauti katika mkutano wa kilele cha Umoja wa Mataifa, wazalishaji wakubwa wa mafuta 50 wa ulimwengu walifikia makubaliano mapya ya kupunguza uzalishaji wa methani kwa asilimia 80 hadi 90 mwishoni mwa muongo huu." Hata hivyo, makundi ya kutetea mazingira yamemkosoa Biden kwa kutofanya mengi kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa kwa kulenga mafuta kama vile mafuta, makaa ya mawe na gesi. Serikali imekubali mikataba mipya ya uchimbaji mwaka huu na uzalishaji wa mafuta wa ndani umeongezeka. Marekani imepanga kuchimba mafuta na gesi kwa kiasi kikubwa mwaka 2023 na mwaka huo utakuwa mwaka wenye joto zaidi kuwahi kurekodiwa. Biden alishindwa kuhudhuria mkutano huo wa Umoja wa Mataifa kwa sababu ya masuala mengine, ikiwa ni pamoja na kampeni ya kijeshi ya Israel katika eneo la Gaza. Wanaharakati wa mazingira wamemshutumu Umoja wa Mataifa kwa kuandaa mkutano huo katika jimbo la United Arab Emirates, ambalo ni mojawapo ya nchi zinazozalisha mafuta mengi duniani. Rais wa mkutano huo ni mkuu wa kampuni ya mafuta inayomilikiwa na serikali.