Hon James Shaw

Minister of Climate Change

New Zealand has joined with more than 105 countries to launch the Global Methane Pledge, Minister of Climate Change James Shaw announced today.

The pledge, launched overnight at COP26 in Glasgow, is an initiative to reduce global methane emissions in order to achieve the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Delivering on the Global Methane Pledge is estimated to reduce warming by at least 0.2 degrees Celsius by 2050.

Countries joining the pledge commit to a collective global target to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030.

“Signing the pledge today builds on the commitment we have made to cut New Zealand’s net greenhouse emissions by 50 percent by 2030,” James Shaw said.

“New Zealand is pleased to be part of a global initiative that will make a substantial contribution to achieving the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.

“The target to cut methane will be achieved collectively. New Zealand will play its part by meeting the biogenic methane targets set out in the Zero Carbon Act we passed last year, as well as by reducing methane from fossil fuels.

“New Zealand aims to cut biogenic methane emissions by 10 percent on 2017 levels by 2030 and by between 24 to 47 percent lower by 2050.

“The Emissions Reduction Plan we publish next year will set out the action we will take to meet those targets, including the world leading work we are doing with the farming sector to become the first country in the world to price agriculture emissions,” James Shaw said.

Other major declarations New Zealand has signed since the start of global climate negotiations in Glasgow include the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and the High Ambition Coalition Leaders Declaration.

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