 International Activities
EPA is involved in a variety of international activities to better understand
and quantify global methane emissions, assess the costs and benefits
of emission reduction options, and to facilitate cost-effective, emission
reduction opportunities. In addition, EPA is leading the
United States commitment to the new Methane to Markets Partnership.
Below is additional information on EPA’s international activities
in these key areas.
Methane to Markets Partnership
The Methane to Markets Partnership is an action-oriented initiative that will reduce global methane emissions to enhance economic growth, promote energy security, improve the environment, and reduce greenhouse gases. Other benefits include improving mine safety, reducing waste, and improving local air quality. The initiative focuses on cost-effective, near-term methane recovery and use as a clean energy source. It will be done internationally through collaboration between developed countries, developing countries, and countries with economies in transition — together with strong participation from the private sector. The Methane to Markets Partnership initially targets three major methane sources: landfills, underground coal mines, and natural gas and oil systems.
To find out more about EPA’s activities in support of the Methane to Markets Partnership, please visit http://www.epa.gov/methanetomarkets/.
To find out more about opportunities for methane recovery and use, please visit the international Methane to Markets website at http://www.methanetomarkets.org/. 
Other Methane Reduction Activities
Since 1993, EPA has been working collaboratively with industry through
a series of voluntary programs to reduce US methane emissions. Building
from these programs, EPA has also implemented activities to reduce
emissions in key countries around the world. These efforts have resulted
in the successful project development at landfills and underground coal
mines and established a solid foundation for the Methane to Markets Partnership.
For more information on these international activities, please visit
the Coalbed Methane Outreach Program and Landfill
Methane Outreach Program sites.
International Analyses
Methane plays an important role in efforts to address global climate change
due to its high global warming potential and the availability of cost-effective
emission reduction opportunities. As a result, EPA collects and develops
data on historical and projected international emissions of methane and
other non-CO2 greenhouse gases and assesses the costs of
reducing these emissions. For more information please visit our International
Analyses page.
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