COP31: Nigeria among 14 countries targeted for methane reduction support

Delegates and participants at the Leaders’ Level Methane and Other Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Summit at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye

Nigeria is among 14 developing countries targeted for support under an international initiative to reduce methane and other climate-warming pollutants.

The initiative, known as the Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator, provides technical assistance, dedicated national teams and support to develop investment-ready projects to help participating countries reduce emissions.

The announcement was made at the Leaders’ Level Methane and Other Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Summit at the ongoing COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye.

Speaking on behalf of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), UK Climate Minister Katie White announced an additional $25 million to expand the initiative to seven more countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Fiji, Morocco, Pakistan, the Philippines and Uzbekistan.

The seven countries will join Brazil, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria and South Africa, which were announced as the initiative’s first beneficiaries at COP30.

With the additional commitment, the initiative now has $50 million in announced funding and aims to support 30 developing countries by 2030.

The programme is designed to help participating countries translate their commitments to reduce methane and other super pollutants into practical action through technical assistance and the development of projects capable of attracting investment.

The announcement comes amid renewed international efforts to accelerate reductions in methane and other non-CO₂ greenhouse gases.

At the summit, philanthropies announced more than $480 million in new funding to support emissions reductions across the energy, agriculture and waste sectors, as well as action on black carbon, clean cooking, transport and cooling.

The funding adds to more than US$530 million already delivered by philanthropic organisations since the launch of the Global Methane Pledge in 2021.

The Leaders’ Level Methane and Other Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Summit was co-hosted by Brazil, China and the United Kingdom, alongside the COP31 Presidency, and chaired by UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband

Participants included Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, China’s Minister of Ecology and Environment, Huang Runqiu, and senior representatives of international organisations.

Speaking at the summit, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said at least 75 per cent of methane emissions from fossil fuel operations could be reduced using existing technologies.

He added that more than 60 per cent of those reductions could be achieved at no net cost.

Mr Birol’s remarks highlighted the economic opportunities associated with reducing methane emissions, particularly through measures that prevent gas from being released or wasted during fossil fuel operations.

Also speaking, Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group, said the bank was supporting methane reduction programmes in 45 countries, three times the number committed to at COP28.

He said the programmes were on course to reduce 11 million tonnes of methane emissions and benefit more than 160 million people.

Mr Banga cited examples from Brazil, where small family dairy farms increased yields by 10 per cent while reducing emissions by six per cent in one year.

He also highlighted a $1 billion rice programme in India supporting more than 300,000 farmers.

Earlier, Ms Mottley called for stronger international cooperation to address methane emissions across fossil fuels, agriculture and waste management.

She said governments and international partners needed to provide financial support to farmers to enable them to adopt practices that reduce methane emissions.

“No one can reasonably expect farmers to bear the cost of adjustment for methane emissions, either in livestock farming or rice paddy farming,” she said.

She also called for countries to move beyond voluntary commitments towards stronger international cooperation and regulation.

Meanwhile, Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), called for stronger policies, increased investment and practical support to help countries implement their climate commitments.

He highlighted the CCAC’s Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator as an initiative helping countries move from commitments to implementation.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Although it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter period than carbon dioxide, reducing its emissions can help slow the rate of warming in the near term.

The summit emphasised that cutting methane and other non-CO₂ greenhouse gases is an important part of efforts to limit global temperature rise, alongside sustained reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.