THE GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE (GMI)

The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is a voluntary, multilateral partnership that aims to reduce global methane emissions and to advance the abatement, recovery, and use of methane as a clean energy source. GMI achieves this goal by creating an international network of partner governments, private sector members, development banks, universities and nongovernmental organizations to conduct assessments, build capacity, create partnerships, and share information to facilitate project development for methane reduction in GMI Partner Countries. More than 1,000 public and private sector organizations are members of the GMI Project Network, and have helped the program to leverage nearly $600 million in investment from private companies and financial institutions.

Through these efforts, GMI is

• Decreasing greenhouse gas emissions
• Improving air and water quality
• Improving human health
• Enhancing energy security
• Increasing worker safety
• Expanding economic growth

GMI advances methane mitigation in three key sectors: Oil and Gas, Biogas, and Coal Mines.

Partner countries

1. Albania
2. Argentina
3. Australia
4. Brazil
5. Bulgaria
6. Canada
7. Chile
8. China
9. Colombia
10. Côte d’Ivoire
11. Dominican Republic
12. Ecuador
13. Ethiopia
14. European Commission
15. Finland
16. Georgia
17. Germany
18. Ghana
19. India
20. Indonesia
21. Israel
22. Italy
23. Japan
24. Jordan
25. Kazakhstan
26. Mexico
27. Mongolia
28. Nicaragua
29. Nigeria
30. Norway
31. Pakistan
32. Peru
33. Philippines
34. Poland
35. Republic of Korea
36. Russia
37. Saudi Arabia
38. Serbia
39. Sri Lanka
40. Thailand
41. Turkey
42. Ukraine
43. United Kingdom
44. United States

Collaboration

Since the GMI was first launched, the global community's interest in addressing methane has grown significantly. The GMI collaborates routinely with other international organizations and initiatives, described below, to create synergies to mitigate methane globally. In particular, the GMI has strategic partnerships with the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Several of these international organizations are participating in the Global Methane Challenge.

1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

CCAC is a voluntary partnership dedicated to reducing short-lived climate pollutants. CCAC Partners work on-the-ground to reduce methane from municipal solid waste in cities all over the world. They cooperate with the private sector to address methane from upstream oil and gas operations and help farmers to address agricultural emissions.

1. Agriculture Initiative: Through the Agriculture Initiative, CCAC assists countries with tools, capacity-building, and financing evidence in order to advance policies and activities that mitigate the effects of short-lived climate pollutants, including methane, on agriculture, land use, and food systems.
2. CCAC Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGPM): The OGMP was formed in 2015 as a voluntary initiative to enhance peer-to-peer cooperation on oil and gas, the largest industrial source of methane globally. In January 2020, OGMP members adopted a new reporting framework focused on reduction approaches, technology advancement, and policy development.
3. Global Methane Alliance: The Global Methane Alliance was initiated in 2019 by CCAC and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to support ambitious methane reduction targets from the oil and gas industry. Participating organizations support countries pursuing these targets through technical assistance, policy support, and sharing of knowledge, technologies, and best management practices.
4. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Initiative: Under this initiative, CCAC provides technical assistance and supports information exchange, training, and capacity building to reduce methane emissions by diverting organic waste from landfills and decrease black carbon emissions by preventing the open burning of waste.

2. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

UNECE, one of five regional commissions of the United Nations, helps countries meet sustainable development goals. Through these groups, UNECE develops and disseminates best practice guidance and brings together stakeholders and experts in the coal mining and oil and gas sectors.

• UNECE Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane (CMM): The UNECE’s Committee on Sustainable Energy established the Group of Experts on CMM, which carries out activities related to sustainable development and profitable recovery and use of CMM and abandoned mine methane (AMM). These activities mitigate climate change, improve mine safety and productivity, and generate revenue and cost savings.
• UNECE Group of Experts on Gas: The Group of Experts on Gas promotes the sustainable and clean production, distribution, and consumption of natural gas in the UNECE region.

3. International Energy Agency

The International Energy Agency is an autonomous intergovernmental organization, within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development framework, made up of 30 member countries. IEA conducts methane work as part of a broad organizational mission to shape energy policies for a secure and sustainable future. The IEA’s Methane Tracker uses the latest evidence from the scientific literature and measurement campaigns to analyze needs and opportunities to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.

4. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Since 2014, the UNEP-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) has worked with a variety of governments, non-governmental organizations, and international oil and gas companies to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

5. The World Bank's Climate Change Group

The World Bank works in every major area of development. In the area of climate change, the World Bank helps countries by providing a wide array of financial products and technical assistance for infrastructure projects and efforts to shift to low-carbon economies.

6. The World Bak's Global Gas Flaring Reduction Initiative (GGFR)

The GGFR is a public-private initiative comprising international and national oil companies, national and regional governments, and international institutions that works to increase use of natural gas associated with oil production. Specifically, the GGFR addresses technical and regulatory barriers to flaring reduction, conducts research, disseminates best practices, and develops country-specific gas flaring reduction programs.

7. Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA)

GACSA advances the three pillars of climate smart agriculture – productivity, adaptation and mitigation – by providing a platform to share and exchange experiences and knowledge about mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector.

8. Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI)

OGCI is a chief executive officer (CEO)-led consortium that aims to accelerate the industry response to climate change. Reducing member companies’ methane emissions to near zero is a top priority for OGCI.