Landfills and sewage treatment plants will regularly report methane emission data
Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission and other departments jointly issued the "Methane Emission Control Action Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Methane Plan"), which makes systematic provisions on strengthening the coordination of air pollution prevention and control and methane emission control, and controlling methane emissions in a scientific, reasonable and orderly manner. For the first time, the Methane Plan clarifies the methane emission control targets in China's key areas by 2030, comprehensively proposes to strengthen the construction of methane monitoring, accounting, reporting and verification systems, and accelerate the emission control of energy, agriculture and waste, so as to ensure that significant results are achieved in controlling methane emissions. According to the estimation of relevant experts, after the implementation of the "Methane Plan", China's methane emission reduction is expected to achieve 5 million tons in 2030.
Methane is the world's second largest greenhouse gas, with high warming potential and short lifespan, mainly from coal, oil and gas production, agriculture and waste treatment. Methane emissions are currently on a downward trend in advanced economies overall. According to the greenhouse gas inventories submitted by the United States and the European Union to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, methane emissions in the United States and the European Union in 2021 decreased by about 14% and 37%, respectively, compared with 1990, and methane emissions in developed countries in 2020 decreased by 29% compared to 1990 overall. However, due to China's coal-based energy structure and the fact that rice is the largest food crop, China's total methane emissions are relatively large. According to published national greenhouse gas inventories, China's methane emissions increased by 11% in the 10 years from 2005 to 2014. Therefore, the formulation of a special methane emission control policy document is of great significance for promoting China's high-quality development, promoting the synergy of pollution reduction and carbon reduction, and actively responding to climate change.
Specifically, the Methane Plan sets out eight key tasks, namely:
1. Strengthen the construction of methane emission monitoring, accounting, reporting and verification systems
2. Promote methane emission control in the energy sector
3. Promote methane emission control in the agricultural sector
4. Strengthen the control of methane emissions from garbage and sewage treatment
5. Strengthen the coordinated control of pollutants and methane
6. Strengthen technological innovation and methane emission control supervision
7. Accelerate the establishment of a system of regulations, standards, and policies
8. Strengthen global methane governance and cooperation
The Methane Plan clearly stipulates that the establishment of a methane emissions accounting, reporting and verification system should be studied. Research and promote the establishment of a methane emission accounting and reporting system for enterprises in key industries, and promote the regular reporting of methane emission data from large emission sources such as coal mines, oil and gas fields, breeding farms, landfills, and sewage treatment plants. This means that in the future, landfills and wastewater treatment plants will need to report methane emissions data on a regular basis, and a system for accounting, reporting and verification of methane emissions will be promoted. Relevant experts said that due to the temporary lack of upper-level methods, the lack of high-precision monitoring technology and equipment, and the lack of professional and technical personnel, China's methane emission control work still needs to be strengthened. In the future, by strengthening relevant regulations and standards, methane emissions will be strictly controlled in accordance with the law.