President Biden stops Methane Emissions and Supports Sustainable Agriculture

President Biden is taking bold steps to increase the U.S. clean energy economy and create good-paying jobs by reducing methane emissions, promoting innovation, and supporting sustainable agriculture. President Biden is launching a U.S.  Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan.

The United States is paving the way for the future clean energy economy with initiatives through research, development, and deployment. According to the Department of Energy, while the majority of energy sectors lost jobs in 2020, wind generation, battery storage, and hybrid and electric vehicles continued to grow despite the pandemic.

Transitioning to a net-zero economy will generate 30 million jobs globally by 2030 in the energy, construction, and automotive sectors, with 65 percent of those jobs being high-skilled, says the International Energy Agency.

Reducing Methane Emissions

Oil & Gas Industry: Approximately 30% of all methane emissions in the United States come from the oil and gas industry, making it the most significant industrial source. On JAanuary 20, 2021, President Biden  issued Executive Order 13990 addressing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations under the Clean Air Act to reduce oil and gas industry methane emissions. 

For new oil and gas facilities, the EPA is proposing new regulations that will significantly expand and strengthen methane emission reductions, by decreasing methane emissions from existing sources, including an estimated 300,000 oil and gas well sites hoping  that this new regulations would reduce emission by roughly 75%. 

Landfill: In the US, landfills are the second largest industrial source of methane. EPA is create an initiative to reduce food loss and waste, which contributes significantly to landfill methane emissions. EPA is also boosting its voluntary landfill methane outreach programme to achieve a national goal of 70% methane emissions capture.

Oil & Wells and Abandoned Mines: The President’s Build Back Better plan will aggressively plug a large number of orphan oil and gas wells, many of which still vent methane.  To reduce methane emissions from these abandoned coal mines, Build Back Better would expand the current Abandoned Mine Land programme. A significant number of qualified workers could be recruited, especially in energy-rich communities across the country.

Agricultural: Biden directed the USDA to work with farmers and ranchers to identify voluntary, incentive-based approaches to furthering climate goals as part of his executive order on “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad.”

As a result, USDA is working on multiple initiatives, including,,, 

• the adoption of alternative manure management systems and other methane-reducing practises.

• the expansion of on-farm generation and use of renewable energy.

• the development of a climate-smart agricultural commodities partnership initiative.

• increased investments in agriculture methane quantification and related innovations.

The US will also join the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy. This global initiative uses the ocean’s power to combat climate change, create jobs and food security, and accelerate sustainable ocean use. The  US will develop a national plan to manage our oceans sustainably.