Reduce methane gas emissions by 2030, Ecuador’s new commitment at COP26

Reducing the emission of methane gas (natural gas) by 2030 is Ecuador’s new environmental commitment, within the framework of the global goal of reducing these emissions by 30% by 2030. The president of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, announced that Ecuador joins the Global Commitment for Methane. “Our country is committed first of all to transform this gas into usable energy and thus assume responsibility to achieve the objective of reducing at least 30% of global emissions of methane by 2030 ″, said the president in the context of the COP26 meeting in Glasgow.

President Lasso also called for “each one to assume their task. Let each one face their role in this fight. We know very well that in this way, the whole of humanity united, will emerge victorious from this new challenge ”, he affirmed in his speech at the Presentation Event of the Global Commitment on Methane.

At the event, Lasso reaffirmed that, despite the fact that Ecuador is a small country and whose gas emissions do not represent more than a tiny part of the world total (just 0.18%), it is also one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world . “Our commitment to the planet, our conviction and will are as great as those of anyone here present”, said the Ecuadorian president.

Ecuador has a great task on this issue. At the moment there are at least 447 associated gas lighters that burn in the Amazon. Eastern lighters have a percentage of 30% methane (natural gas) and 25% propane and butane (LPG). At the beginning of the year, a favorable ruling was obtained for nine plaintiffs girls who asked that these lighters be put out, as they violated their rights to health and a healthy environment. Many of his relatives have fallen ill with cancer, they assured. The sentence is not subject to appeal, although at this time an appeal for clarification and extension has been required, since the conditions of execution are not clear.

Further, in Bajo Alto a pure methane gas lighter burns for at least 2 million cubic feet per day, that is, a figure equivalent to 440,000 gallons of diesel per month in energy. In this case, transporters from El Oro have submitted a proposal to the Government to be able to take advantage of this pure gas in their operation.

Also, as part of the president’s agenda Lasso Within the framework of this global meeting of leaders, he attended events of high importance, such as the one called “Forests and land use” (Forest and Land Use Event – FLU) and the initiative “Building a Better World” (Build Back Better World – B3W).

In this latest high-level meeting, the Ecuadorian head of state spoke with some leaders of other nations, such as the president of the United States, Joe Biden; the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau; the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson; among others, on infrastructure, job creation, sustainability projects, eradication of chronic child malnutrition, health, education, connectivity, and the fight against violence against women; as well as issues related to the battle against climate change, the new marine reserve in Galapagos and the importance of environmental conservation for future generations.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Mauricio Montalvo stressed that President Lasso’s participation in this event was extremely important, since in addition to Ecuador, only Colombia and Barbados had a speech on behalf of Latin America, which shows the high interest that environmental policies arouse. , social and infrastructure proposed by the Government of the Meeting on a regional and international scale.