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Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand Join Methane to Markets Partnership to Curb Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Release date: 03/27/2008
Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. - March 27, 2008) Mongolia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand are the newest partners in the Methane to Markets program, which aims to reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas and clean energy source. Methane to Markets now numbers 25 partners.
"Through the Methane to Markets Partnership, America is exporting our successes of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to our neighbors around the world," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By tapping into sources of clean energy, we are ensuring methane emissions do not go to waste."
By 2015, Methane to Markets has the potential to deliver annual reductions in methane emissions of up to 50 million metric tons of carbon equivalent, which is roughly equal to the carbon dioxide emissions from the energy use of about 4.4 million American homes for one year.
As demonstrated by the partners, Methane to Markets focuses on reducing methane emissions from four sources: animal waste management, coal mines, landfills, and oil and gas systems.
- Mongolia intends to use cost-effective methane recovery techniques at both municipal landfills and in its agricultural sector; municipal landfills produce a significant portion of the country's methane.
- Pakistan plans to capture and reduce methane emissions from the production and processing of coal and its largest energy sources, oil and gas.
- The Philippines have opportunities for methane capture and use in both the landfill and agricultural sectors; landfill gas assessment and extraction projects already operate across the country.
- Thailand plans to reduce methane emissions in its agricultural sector by improving manure management; the country has already begun work on a livestock waste management project that captures and reuses methane.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere at a rate 20 times higher than carbon dioxide; in addition, methane is a primary constituent of natural gas and an important energy source. As a result, efforts to prevent or utilize methane emissions can provide significant energy, economic and environmental benefits.
In addition to the four new partners, Methane to Markets partners include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, the European Commission, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Methane to Markets, launched in 2004, is a public/private partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane, while providing clean energy to markets around the world.
For more information, visit the Methane to Markets Web site at: epa.gov/methanetomarkets
