U.S. Announces $5 Million, CCAC $1.2 Million to Help Africa Tackle Methane Emissions

In Senegal last week at the resumed eighteenth session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced a new $5 million grant from the U.S. government to the African Development Bank to support efforts to abate methane emissions.

“More than 25 countries on the continent have joined the Global Methane Pledge, a resounding level of support for the importance of methane in keeping 1.5 degrees within reach,” said Special Climate Envoy Kerry. “I am very pleased that the African Development Bank is responding to the increased global attention on methane emissions and is planning to increase their own focus on methane abatement in coming years.”

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the Global Methane Hub announced additional funding at the event. The Global Methane Hub, which funds methane mitigation efforts, will contribute $5 million dollars over the next three years, while the CCAC will fund $1.2 million in projects to help tackle methane and other SLCPs.

This funding will be critical for implementing and delivering the Global Methane Pledge, which was launched at COP26 in Glasgow. The Pledge, signed by more than 120 countries, aims to reduce global methane emissions at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030, which could eliminate over 0.2˚C warming by 2050.

Methane is a powerful but short-lived climate pollutant that accounts for about half of the net rise in global average temperature since the pre-industrial era. Rapidly reducing methane emissions from energy, agriculture, and waste can achieve near-term gains in our efforts in this decade for decisive action and is regarded as the single most effective strategy to keep the goal of limiting warming to 1.5˚C within reach while yielding co-benefits including improving public health and agricultural productivity.

Methane isn’t just bad for the environment – it’s also bad for human health. Methane contributes to deadly air pollution and is responsible for nearly half a million deaths per year. A forthcoming Africa integrated assessment on air pollution and climate change, the product of a partnership between the CCAC, the African Union Commission, UNEP and SEI, will show how the continent can achieve key development goals, including the Agenda 2063, while providing cleaner air for its people and helping the global fight against climate change.