The Biden administration hosted the White House Super Pollutants Summit, gathering U.S. officials, industry leaders, environmental organizations, and international partners to unveil a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at tackling super pollutant greenhouse gases. These gases, including methane, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and nitrous oxide (N2O), have a significantly higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide.
The summit served as a platform to announce several new initiatives aimed at enhancing the detection, reporting, and reduction of super pollutant emissions, with a comprehensive approach including partnerships with private companies, international organizations, and government agencies, all working together to reduce the impact of these potent greenhouse gases.
One of the major announcements at the summit was the partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and United Airlines. This collaboration aims to use commercial aircraft to monitor climate pollutants, including CO2 and methane, more effectively. The data collected will improve understanding of greenhouse gas emissions and aid in the development of a new Commercial Aircraft Greenhouse Gas Monitoring Program.
"This collaboration represents a significant leap forward in U.S. efforts to monitor and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions," commented Sarah Kapnick, Ph.D., NOAA’s chief scientist. "If we can harness the capabilities of commercial aircraft, we will be poised to make rapid advancements in the understanding of greenhouse gas emissions that can inform policies."
Additionally, the State Department and NASA has a new plan to deploy advanced monitoring systems at U.S. embassies worldwide. These systems will measure ozone and its precursors, contributing valuable data for climate and air quality modeling.
The Carbon Mapper Coalition, which includes partners like NASA and Planet Labs PBC, announced the launch of its first satellite to enhance methane emission detection from space. This initiative complements the Environmental Defense Fund's earlier launch of MethaneSAT, aimed at identifying and mitigating major methane emitters. Bezos Earth Fund additionally announced $10M will be given to the MethaneSAT program to continue its important work.
The summit showcased major commitments from the private sector, with Ascend Performance Materials, the largest U.S. producer of adipic acid (a chemical compound widely used in a number of industrial uses from nylon production to food additives), announcing the installation of advanced technology designed to nearly eliminate N2O emissions at its Florida facility. ClimeCo, a global sustainability leader, unveiled plans to implement three new projects, targeting a reduction of nitrous oxide emissions by approximately 95% by early 2025.
Participating in the discussion on Advancing Industrial N2O Action at Home and Abroad, ClimeCo's President and CEO, Bill Flederbach, stated, "Swift action will not only reduce super-pollutant emissions but also lead to widespread social advantages, like enhancing public health, fortifying the resilience of our food supply, generating employment opportunities of superior quality and protecting communities at risk. As the largest developer of nitrous oxide abatement projects in the United States, ClimeCo is proud to be leading the way in this critical effort.”
In addition to private sector initiatives, the EPA introduced new rules under the Clean Air Act to reduce methane emissions from oil and natural gas operations. The Super Emitter Program will utilize satellite and other advanced technologies to identify and address large methane leaks. The EPA also announced plans to propose updated emission standards for municipal solid waste landfills by 2025, further reducing harmful emissions.
The Biden administration continues to play a leading role in global climate initiatives, as a strong advocate of the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. The U.S. also ratified the Kigali Amendment, an international agreement to phase down HFCs, which is expected to prevent up to 0.5°C of global warming by 2100.
On the global development front at the Summit, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced new partnerships under its Food Loss and Waste Accelerator, focusing on reducing methane emissions from food waste. This initiative includes collaborations with businesses in Kenya, Nepal, and Tanzania, aiming to prevent over 85,000 metric tons of food loss and create over 600 jobs, with a significant portion held by women.
A coalition of philanthropic organizations, represented by the High Tide Foundation, has pledged over $300 million to support the Global Methane Hub. This initiative aims to stimulate significant investments in projects targeting methane emission reductions, particularly in low- and middle-income nations. The Global Methane Hub, established alongside the Global Methane Pledge, has already facilitated the reallocation of $200 million to 114 organizations working across 152 countries, resulting in more than $10 billion in investments for methane mitigation projects.
The United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) has reported increased participation in the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) since its inception in December 2023. The program now includes countries responsible for over two-thirds of the oil and gas emission events detected by MARS in 2023. These countries, alongside focal points from the 140 member companies of UNEP’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 and 15 major oil and gas-producing governments, collectively represent over 60% of global oil and gas production.
In addition, the World Bank has announced a new initiative, supported by $10 million in U.S. funding, to integrate methane reduction into their global development agenda. The program's initial phase will support 15 country-led projects aimed at cutting 10 million tons of methane emissions from the livestock, rice, waste, and sanitation sectors, benefiting more than 100 million people.
As the summit concluded, it was clear that international cooperation and innovative strategies are crucial to addressing the pressing challenge of super pollutant emissions. The diverse array of initiatives unveiled, ranging from enhanced monitoring systems to significant financial commitments, underscores the multifaceted approach required to continue mitigating these potent greenhouse gases.
