The Environmental Protection Agency has earmarked $7m (£4.7m) in grant funding for projects that can reduce methane emissions in transitional and developing countries.
The EPA has issued an RFP for methane reduction grant applicants under Methane to Markets, a global initiative designed to reduce methane emissions in four sectors: landfill, oil and gas, coal mining and agriculture. The agency, which forms the steering committee for the initiative, expects to award about 40 projects between $100,000 and $700,000 each in grant funding.
The agency is looking for projects including feasibility studies, methane emission databases and training. Study tours, conferences and country-wide methane reduction programmes are among others that will also be considered.
Projects will be considered in countries currently on the Methane to Markets member list, including Russia, the Ukraine, Thailand, China, India, Pakistan and Nigeria. Developing nations currently applying to join the partnership will also be eligible, but projects targeting US-based methane reduction will not be funded.
This is the latest in a series of annual funding rounds by the EPA as it seeks to drive down emissions of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas – in developing and transitional markets. Last year, the largest grant awarded by the EPA under the scheme was $700,000 for development assistance to reduce methane from swine farms in Thailand.
Methane to Markets hopes to reduce the amount of carbon emitted annually by 50 million tonnes in 2015.
White House downplays memo suggesting concerns over EPA's endangerment finding 13 May 2009
Obama administration moves forward with fuel efficiency rules, as Democrats hint that climate bill vote could be put back to 2010 16 Sep 2009
Agriculture to play key role in low-carbon transition as government indicates it will improve financial support for green farming 16 Jul 2009
New legislation to force fuel suppliers to provide more biofuels, hydrogen and electric ccharging stations 27 Apr 2009
Government emphasises that per capita emissions will still rank below global average 03 Sep 2009
Resolution follows similar decision by Shell shareholders last month 09 Feb 2010
Measures needed to ensure cars do not charge from fossil fuel-powered grid 09 Feb 2010
Researchers use salicornia plants in carbon-negative process to grow biofuels 09 Feb 2010
More news
Friends of the Earth’s biofuels campaigner Kenneth Richter argues that biofuel targets are a distraction from tried-and-tested ways of reducing transport emissions 09 Feb 2010
Trewin Restorick wonders if the concept du jour of "nudging" behaviour change can help curb UK carbon emissions 08 Feb 2010
From feed in tariffs to vanishing top soil, we run down the top stories from the past week 08 Feb 2010 More in-depth
Post your comment
Send an email to the Business Green editor at feedback@businessgreen.com
