On March 30, 2022, the International Centre of Excellence on Coal Mine Methane in China participated in the seminar on "Driving down methane emissions from fossil fuel operations in China" organized by International Energy Agency (IEA) and hosted by the International Green Development Program (IGDP).
The purpose of the event was to bring together key voices from the Chinese fossil fuel sector to explore how policy and regulation can drive emissions reduction in China and how voluntary action by industry can complement these efforts.
Opening remarks were made by Tim Gould, Chief Energy Economist, IEA and Mr. SU Mingshan, Deputy Director, from National Climate Change Strategy Research and International Cooperation Centre, Ministry of Ecology and Environment China. Mr. K. C Michaels & Tomás Bredariol from IEA then presented some of the key findings from the IEA Roadmap and the Global Methane Tracker 2022. Two discussion panels, one on oil/gas and one on coal followed.
Mr. Shen Jinming, deputy chairman of ICE-China, joined the online discussion on “Driving Down Methane Leaks from Coal Mining Industry.” Mr. Shen first introduced the establishment of the ICE-China and its main work. Under the guidance of the UNECE GOE, ICE-China is actively promoting:
- Best practice in CMM drainage, control, safety and utilisation,
- Emission reduction demonstration projects in coal mines,
- The concept of promoting utilisation by emission reduction,
- Research into CMM utilisation and emission reduction.
Mr. Shen put forward suggestions on the support and cooperation needed to carry out and enhance CMM related activities, including:
- Policy guidance and stable mechanisms to support proactive emission reduction measures;
- Strengthening international cooperation among various organisations and industries as an effective way to establish emission reduction mechanisms and promote gas utilization;
- The importance of VAM and AMM emission control as an essential element in the realisation of the double carbon goal of coal enterprises in China, and the necessity of establishing mechanisms to incentivise and strengthen the development of projects.