China ramps up control of non-CO2 greenhouse gases

China is stepping up efforts to control non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases, as part of its 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), said Xia Yingxian, director of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's department of climate change.

For the first time, China's 2035 NDCs, which was announced in late September, explicitly includes non-CO2 greenhouse gases in the total emission control scope, Xia said.

"In recent years, China has made steady progress in curbing non-CO2 emissions through a series of targeted policies," he said.

To reduce methane emissions, the ministry and other departments jointly issued an action plan for methane emission control at the end of 2023. "Since then, key actions in the energy, agriculture, and waste treatment sectors have gradually advanced," Xia said.

Utilization of coal mine gas has continued to improve, livestock manure recycling has made notable progress, and scientific control of methane emissions from rice paddies has been enhanced, he added.

Meanwhile, China has actively shared its progress on methane control at global platforms such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan and the 2024 Global Methane Forum.

In August, the ministry, together with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, released an action plan for controlling nitrous oxide emissions in the industrial sector.

The plan is expected to guide future control efforts and accelerate China's transition toward greener industries, Xia said.

In addition, the ministry is using the voluntary greenhouse gas emissions trading market to encourage companies to cut non-CO2 gases. To facilitate the process, six methodologies related to non-CO2 gases, including the recycling of associated gas from offshore oil fields, are set to be issued by the end of this year.

China will further strengthen implementation of the control plans and expand cooperation across sectors to contribute to global climate action, Xia added.