European Commission Joins Bush's Methane to Markets Partnership

The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday that the European Commission has become the 21^st member of President Bush's Methane to Markets Partnership. Four European countries are already members of the public-private partnership: The United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Poland have already signed on. The European Commission is the European Union's executive branch, and the Commission is the first multi-country entity to join the partnership.

The EC Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs, has stated that the EC "looks forward to collaborating within the Methane to Markets Partnership to further our joint goals of reducing climate change." EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson echoes the statement: "The Bush Administration appreciates that the challenge of global climate change is exactly that-global." He continued, "we are moving together toward a cleaner, healthier, more productive world."

The Methane to Markets Partnership was started in November 2004 by the Bush Administration to focus on promoting cost-effective recovery and use of methane. The Partnership works with both private companies and governments to reduce methane, a gas that is a by-product of animal waste, coal and gas mining, as well as landfills. The goal of the Partnership is not only to find effective and cheap ways to harness and sequester the greenhouse gas, but also to create markets in which the gas can be made available as clean energy.

The European Commission will bring expertise in methane recovery from coal mining, as well as more markets for the gas from other countries. The European Commission joins over 600 network members from the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGO's). The other countries that are already partners, excluding those mentioned above, include China, India, Mexico, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Ecuador, Japan, Nigeria and South Korea.

Methane accounts for 16% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, which is the chief culprit in global warming. Methane does have a relatively short half-life (7 years) in which it breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. Methane to Markets has a goal of reducing methane by 50 million metric tons of carbon equivalent (MMTCE), which is equal to enough energy to power 7.2 million households for one year.

Other benefits that the Partnership hopes to gain include improved mine quality and a reduction of mining waste. This in turn will also contribute to cleaner air. The partnership also seeks to foster economic growth.

President Bush has offered the Methane to Markets Partnership as part of his energy policy. US agencies that take part in the initiative include the Departments of Energy, Agriculture, and State, as well as the EPA.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency press release, EPA website