According to Biden, the collective methane reduction goal would be ambitious but realistic, helping to reduce the rate of global warming and improve public health. The US is working with the EU to persuade other countries to commit to the goal by November's UN Conference of the Parties (COP 26) climate conference in Glasgow, Biden said.
Among participants of Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate were Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison, Indonesian president Joko Widodo, Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga and UK prime minister Boris Johnson. China, Russia, India and Germany sent special envoys and other high-ranking officials.
According to the sixth assessment report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane emissions alone have accounted for about 0.5°C of the 1.1°C in warming observed since the pre-industrial period.
Oil & gas is responsible for 70 million metric tonnes of methane last year, about 5pc of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, IEA estimates show. Other major methane sources include agriculture, landfills, livestock and coal mining.