US and EU line up over 20 more countries for global methane pact
They join effort to slash emission of the greenhouse gas by 30% come 2030
WASHINGTON: Two dozen countries have joined a US- and EU-led effort to slash methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, giving the emerging global partnership momentum ahead of its launch at the UN climate summit in Glasgow later this month, a government official told Reuters.
Nigeria, Japan and Pakistan are among the 24 new signatories to the Global Methane Pledge, which was first announced by the United States and the European Union last month with the aim of galvanising rapid climate action before the start of the Scotland summit on Oct 31.
It could have a significant impact on the energy, agriculture and waste sectors responsible for the bulk of methane emissions.
The nine original partners include Britain, Indonesia and Mexico, which signed on to the pledge when it was announced at the Major Economies Forum last month.
The partnership will now cover 60 per cent of global gross domestic product and 30 per cent of global methane emissions.
US special climate change envoy John Kerry and European Commission executive vice-president Frans Timmermans would introduce the new partners at a joint event yesterday and announce that a dozen philanthropic organisations, including ones led by philanthropists Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates, would mobilise more than US$200 million (S$270 million) to support countries' methane reduction efforts, said the official, who declined to be named.
The source said the countries represent a range of methane emissions profiles. For example, Pakistan's main source of methane emissions is agriculture, while Indonesia's main source of methane is waste.
Several countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts, including some African nations and island nations like Micronesia, have also signed the pledge.
In the weeks leading up to the UN climate summit, the US will engage with other major emerging economy methane emitters such as India and China to urge them to join and ensure the "groundswell of support continues", the official said.
Methane is a greenhouse gas and the biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide. Several recent reports have highlighted the need for governments to crack down on methane to limit global warming to 1.5 deg C, the goal of the Paris climate agreement. - REUTERS
Thousands evacuated, coal mines shut as floods hit north China
BEIJING: More than 120,000 people have been evacuated, coal mines shut and crops destroyed after unseasonal heavy rainfall flooded north China's Shanxi province over the weekend, state media reported yesterday, with more rain forecast.
The deluge comes just months after record floods hit the country's central Henan province in July - killing more than 300 people - and raises fears about ensuring the supply of energy ahead of the winter.
Many parts of Shanxi, a landlocked province that generally has dry weather, saw record-breaking rainfall over the past week, according to the provincial government, which ordered coal mines to take flood-proofing measures and make emergency plans to be "activated immediately in case of grave danger".
POWER SUPPLY
At least 60 coal mines in the province - one of China's top coal-producing regions - have suspended operations because of the floods, according to a local government statement, even as the country faces a power supply crunch.
Beijing recently ordered coal mines to spare no costs to increase production and ensure supply. It also said it would allow higher electricity prices, in a bid to boost generation.
Analysts have warned the move could add to inflation concerns.
More than 1.75 million residents have so far been affected by the floods in Shanxi.
State news agency Xinhua reported the province had received more than three times the average monthly rainfall for this month in just five days last week.
An estimated 190,000ha of crops were destroyed and 17,000 buildings were reduced to rubble, the local Communist Party newspaper Shanxi Evening News reported. - AFP
US' first meeting with Taliban 'candid and professional'
WASHINGTON: The United States said the first face-to-face meeting between senior US and Taliban officials since the hard-line group retook power in Afghanistan was "candid and professional", but the US side reiterated that the Taliban would be judged on their actions, not just their words.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US delegation at the weekend talks in Qatar focused on security and terrorism concerns and safe passage for US citizens, other foreign nationals and Afghans, as well as on human rights, including the meaningful participation of women and girls in all aspects of Afghan society.
He said the two sides also discussed "the United States' provision of robust humanitarian assistance, directly to the Afghan people".
"The discussions were candid and professional with the US delegation reiterating that the Taliban will be judged on its actions, not only its words," Mr Price said in a statement.
It did not say if any agreements were reached.
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE
The Foreign Ministry in Kabul said the two-day meeting went well. It welcomed the US offer of humanitarian assistance and said local authorities would facilitate delivery and cooperate with aid groups, but said such assistance "should not be linked to political issues".
"Detailed discussions were held during the meeting about all relevant issues. And efforts should be exerted to restore diplomatic relations to a better state," the ministry said in a statement, adding that similar meetings would be held in future if required.
On Saturday, Qatar-based Al Jazeera television quoted Afghanistan's acting foreign minister as saying that Taliban representatives asked the US side to lift a ban on Afghan central bank reserves.
It said the minister, Mr Amir Khan Muttaqi, also said Washington would offer Afghans coronavirus vaccines and that the two sides discussed "opening a new page" between the two countries. - REUTERS
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