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COP30 Set to Open in Belém With Methane at the Forefront

Washington's retreat refocuses talks toward targeted coalitions for near-term cuts.

Overview

  • The gathering doubles as the decade mark of the Paris Agreement’s ambitions, with negotiations starting Monday, 10 November, in Belém, Brazil.
  • UNEP underscores methane’s outsized short‑term impact and finds that a 45% cut this decade could avert roughly 0.3°C of warming by 2045, with emissions concentrated in agriculture (~40%), fossil fuels (~35%) and waste (~20%).
  • The Global Methane Pledge targets at least a 30% reduction from 2020 levels by 2030, with measures spanning livestock and rice practices, leak detection in oil and gas, and improved waste management.
  • The United States under President Trump will forgo high‑level attendance and is exiting the Paris accord again, while China signals ambitious goals and potential influence through its clean‑tech dominance.
  • UNEP projects about 2.8°C of warming under current policies versus 2.3–2.5°C if commitments are fully implemented, steering expectations toward smaller, issue‑focused alliances such as methane deals and carbon market frameworks.