US Rolls out Climate Change Mitigation Initiatives at COP28

With COP28, the annual UN Climate Change Conference, underway in Dubai, the Biden administration has announced a variety of new monitoring and mitigation initiatives.

On Monday, NASA unveiled the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center, an interagency hub for greenhouse gas datasets and analysis tools. Built in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Institute of Standards and Technology, it will host a curated catalog of satellite, airborne, and ground-based observations and provide estimates of emissions from human activities, natural sources, and large methane events.

The center is a cornerstone of the national greenhouse gas monitoring system outlined in a report released by the administration last week. The report recommends a phased strategy for integrating various monitoring activities to ensure “comprehensive, granular, and timely data,” beginning with a variety of sector-specific demonstration projects and two urban-scale prototype monitoring systems covering the Washington, D.C., and Indianapolis, Indiana, regions.

Separately, the EPA issued a final rule last week that places new regulations on methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry, which it estimates will reduce methane emissions by nearly 80%.

The administration also outlined an international strategy for fusion energy development, calling for new multilateral R&D partnerships, the development of global fusion supply chains, and coordination of fusion regulatory frameworks.