Global Methane, Climate and Clean Air Forum

Highlights and images for 29 September 2022

Washington, D.C., United States of America

Rachel Kyte, Tufts University

Rachel Kyte, Dean of The Fletcher School, Tufts University, and Member of the Climate Policy Initiative Board

“Peace is a prerequisite for achieving net zero.” The words hung heavy with meaning on the last day of the Global Methane, Climate and Clean Air Forum. Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University, delivered a strong reminder that oil and gas companies must be held accountable for their net zero pledges using the best available transparency technology.

During her keynote, Kyte addressed the importance of reducing SLCP emissions as a “fast decarbonization sprint while we run the deep decarbonization marathon.” She explained that current technology has made clear the ways in which methane leakage has been drastically underestimated in the oil and gas sector, and that this data should be used as leverage for “different conversations” with the industry regarding the integrity of their net zero pledges.

The rest of the morning sessions focused on how to mobilize financing for fast climate action. Panellists spoke about the need to address fossil fuel subsidies, as well as the role of carbon pricing and carbon markets in potentially generating economic benefits from methane reductions in developing countries. 

Panel on Examples of Successful Financing Approaches in Other Sectors

A panel provides examples of successful financing approaches in other sectors.

The sessions reiterated the importance of awareness-raising and capacity-building for methane reduction opportunities in order to leverage their scientific, economic, and social benefits. Many of the participants agreed on the need to bring more transparency into their numbers, and to continue to pressure multilateral development banks (MDBs) towards ambitious work.

In the afternoon, technical sessions convened on such topics as:

  • Aligning agriculture with net-zero plans;
  • Scaling up financing in the household energy sector;
  • Tackling methane emissions from coal mining; and
  • Financing and implementing mitigation options in municipal solid waste.

Participants were also invited on site visits of an anaerobic digester, a wastewater treatment plant, and a county landfill in the surrounding region.

In the evening, a closing reception was co-hosted by the Pisces Foundation, World Resources Institute, Environmental Defense Fund, and Clean Air Task Force.

IISD's Summary: A summary report of the Forum will be available on this site on Sunday, 2 October 2022.

All ENB photos are free to use with attribution. For photos from the Global Methane, Climate and Clean Air Forum, please use the following attribution: Photo by IISD/ENB | Diego Noguera.

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