Australia joined the Global Methane Pledge, becoming one of the last major developed economies to sign on to an effort to reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas by 30% from 2020 levels by the end of this decade.
Announcing the decision to sign the methane pledge on Sunday, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said meeting the 2030 target could help avoid 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming across the planet.
"Methane is 24% of Australia’s emissions and we are the world’s 11th biggest emitter of methane, so it’s very important that we have a seat at the table and we are part of the solution,” he said, adding that the main sources of the gas in Australia were mining and agriculture.