4Hp33xufoek Author: Wu Jisong opinion.huanqiu.com article Wu Jisong: China US cooperation has a "positive effect" in promoting methane emission reduction /e3pmub6h5/e3pr9baf6 <article><section data type="rtext"><p>The Sino US "Working Group on Strengthening Climate Action in the 1920s" meeting was recently held in the United States. "China and the United States are about to discuss methane emission reduction" has attracted the attention of many foreign media</ p> <p>The meeting was co chaired by Liu Zhenmin, China's special envoy for climate change affairs, and John Podesta, senior adviser to the President of the United States on international climate policy. It focused on the energy transition, methane and other non carbon dioxide greenhouse gases, circular economy, resource efficiency and other areas identified in the Sunshine Town Statement on Strengthening Cooperation to Address the Climate Crisis. The two sides look forward to the Sino US High level Event on Local Climate Action to be held in California from May 29 to 30, and plan to hold the third "Methane and Non carbon Dioxide Greenhouse Gas Summit" during COP29. A series of activities will be carried out in the process of China US strong cooperation, innovation and mutual complementarity</ p> <p>Methane (CH4) is the second largest greenhouse gas recognized by the international academic community, second only to carbon dioxide. Its emissions account for about 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is a "super greenhouse gas" with rapidly increasing greenhouse effect. Compared with carbon dioxide, methane exists in the atmosphere for a shorter time, but the greenhouse effect is stronger. Recently, the International Energy Agency released the Global Methane Emission Tracking report, pointing out that the global energy industry's methane emissions will still rise in 2023, approaching the highest level in history. Methane emissions from the energy sector account for more than 1/3 of the methane emissions from human activities. The fossil fuel sector is the "worst hit area" of methane emissions. Data shows that in 2023, the methane emissions generated by the global fossil fuel sector will exceed 170 billion cubic meters, which will exceed Qatar's annual natural gas production</ p> <adv-loader __attr__inner="7004636" __attr__style="width: auto; position: relative;float: left;border: 1px solid #ebebeb; padding: 20px;overflow: hidden;margin: 10px 30px 40px 0; "></adv-loader> <p>The methane emission per unit area of wetlands is still uncertain, which is an important issue facing mankind that dual carbon directly affects global climate change. Wetlands absorb carbon dioxide, but emit methane, which is an urgent problem for wetland scientific research. At present, the research on methane emissions is only in coal mining, petrochemical and agriculture, and there is no in-depth study on wetland emissions. If this important emission source is not clear, it will affect the realization of the carbon peak target</ p> <p>China has 56.35 million hectares of natural wetlands and 800 million mu of paddy fields of artificial wetlands, all of which emit methane. However, the release amount per unit area of different wetlands in different seasons has not been studied internationally. The academician workstation of China Xiong'an Group where the author works founded "China Wetland Science", and gave the only video lecture of Chinese scientists at the 14th Conference of the Parties to the International Convention on Wetlands held in Wuhan and Geneva, China, in 2022, which was approved by representatives of participating countries. In fact, methane is the main component of natural gas. Through research, it is found that it is completely possible to use different proportions of gas in the methane production stage, absorb and collect gas through equipment, and establish biogas stations to produce fuel. Since methane is a quasi clean energy similar to natural gas and shale gas, and much less investment is made in wetland collection, if it can be achieved, methane combustion will really achieve "positive energy"</ p> <p>From 1992 to 1994, when I was a consultant to the science and technology department of UNESCO, the author proposed to build a biogas station in the wetland. With the support of the Indian government, it was realized in the Masudpur community, 30 kilometers away from Delhi. In 1999, when taking charge of formulating and guiding the implementation of the Plan for the Sustainable Use of Water Resources in the Capital, the author also set up a special project for the rural use of biogas in the wetlands in the upper reaches of the Chaohe River. Although the temperature in winter was too low to last, it was of great significance</ p> <p>It should be noted that due to the lack of understanding of methane emission process and emission mechanism, there is a huge gap in the international estimation of methane emission quantitative from global natural wetlands. In this case, some international institutions continue to increase the contribution of methane emissions to the greenhouse effect (from 25 times to nearly 100 times of carbon dioxide before, but there is no experimental basis for extensive investigation), and its rigor is questionable. Academician Workstation of China Xiong'an Group is taking the lead in guiding relevant units to set up standardized experiments in 32 provincial administrative regions in China, and relevant achievements are leading the world. As the project covers a wide range and has a long tracking time, it needs support from relevant parties at home and abroad</ p> <p>Reducing methane emissions from energy, agriculture, waste disposal and other sources has attracted great attention from China and the United States. On November 11, 2021, China and the United States issued the Glasgow Joint Declaration on Strengthening Climate Action in the 1920s, in which article 8 states: "The two countries particularly recognize the significant impact of methane emissions on warming, and believe that increasing action to control and reduce methane emissions is a necessary matter in the 1920s." The author believes that in terms of methane emission reduction, China US cooperation can fully play a "positive role" in tackling climate change on the basis of the existing work of both sides. (The author is director of the Academician Workstation of China Xiong'an Group and foreign academician of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences)</p></section></article> one trillion and seven hundred and fifteen billion eight hundred and eighty-six million one hundred and forty-nine thousand six hundred and fourteen Copyrighted works of Globegroup are strictly prohibited from being reproduced or mirrored without written authorization. Violators will be investigated for legal responsibility. Editor in charge: Zhao Jiandong Global Times one trillion and seven hundred and fifteen billion eight hundred and ninety-nine million one hundred and sixty-one thousand one hundred and thirteen one one []