I
fifes
U.S. Government's
Global
Methane
Initiative
Accomplishments
ANNUAL
REPORT
December 2014
Global
Methane Initiative

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CONTENTS
Letter from the Acting Assistant Administrator
Introduction
Agriculture	9
Coal Mines	11
Municipal Solid Waste	13
Oil and Gas Systems	15
Wastewater	17
Looking Forward
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December 2014
Dear Colleagues,
2014 was the tenth year of our international collaboration through
the Global Methane Initiative (GMI), a year in which the importance of
reducing methane domestically and internationally has been brought into
sharp focus for the U.S. government. In March 2014, the White House
released the "Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions" as part of the
President's Climate Action Plan. This document provides a comprehensive
interagency strategy to cut domestic and global methane emissions,
outlining actions targeting methane with a potential of reducing 90
million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020.
A key component of the President's strategy is providing U.S. leadership
to reduce global methane emissions. GMI is one of the primary vehicles
mentioned in the plan as a critical mechanism for leveraging U.S. technical
expertise to advance cost-effective near-term solutions around the globe.
This report covers the U.S. government's GMI accomplishments for the year 2013, with a few key
highlights from 2014. GMI now boasts a ten-year track record of producing results and—as this
report outlines—our work continues to advance this important mission. In 2013, GMI continued to
provide critical technical tools and resources to Brazil, China, Colombia, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan.
The annual emission reductions achieved as a result of GMI activities now approach 30 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and U.S. government efforts to support GMi over the past
10 years have achieved more than 200 million metric tons of cumulative methane reductions.
At the same time, we know more can and must be done to tackle the climate challenges we
face. In the coming year, we will continue to explore opportunities to advance global methane
mitigation and support other international efforts such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. It wiii
be an important time to discuss new opportunities to reduce global methane emissions within a
changing international policy landscape. Toward this end, we are planning to hold an international
methane forum in Washington, D.C., in early 2016.1 am sure GMI's successful model of international
collaboration will continue to produce results, and I'm excited to think about how we can improve
and build on its experience in the future.
As the chair of the GMI Steering Committee and as a representative of EPA, I look forward to
the United States' continued leadership in global methane mitigation. We are well positioned
to continue to work effectively with our international partners to meet the critical challenge of
mitigating methane emissions globally.
Sincerely,
- JhCS
Janet G. McCabe
Acting Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, U.S. EPA
Steering Committee Chair, Global Methane Initiative
Global
Methane Initiative
i

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Methane Matters
INTRODUCTION
In 2014, the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) celebrated a
decade of methane mitigation efforts worldwide. U.S. gov-
ernment efforts to support GMI over the past 10 years have
achieved more than 200 million metric tons of cumulative
methane reductions.
GMI works with Partner Countries and a Project Network of
private and public sector organizations to advance methane
abatement, recovery, and use in five sectors: agriculture, coal
mines, municipal solid waste (MSW), oil and gas systems, and
wastewater. GMI supports project identification and develop-
ment through assessment (resource assessments and feasibil-
ity studies), capacity building (leveraging funding and creating
Methane Action Plans), information sharing (hosting subcom-
mittee meetings, workshops, and demonstrations), and partner-
ship (networking with Partner Countries and Project Network
members) (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: GMI's Project Development
Cycle

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& &
PROJECTS
•O
%
\
%




s?

Methane is the second most
prevalent manmade greenhouse gas
(GHG) after carbon dioxide (C02).
While methane is emitted in smaller
quantities than C02 and remains
in the atmosphere for a shorter
period, its ability to trap heat in
the atmosphere—called "global
warming potential" or "GWP"—is
28 times greater than that of CCy
These characteristics make methane
reductions particularly effective at
mitigating global warming in the
near term.
m
By 2015, it is
anticipated, methane
will account for
nearly nine percent2
of global manmade GHG emissions.
GMI targets sectors responsible for
more than half of these emissions,
or about 4,057 million metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent
(MMTCOjE).
Significant methane reductions
are possible in these sectors using
currently available, cost-effective
technologies. For more information
on methane emission sources,
trends, and global abatement
potential, see EPA's Global
Mitigation of Non-CO2 Greenhouse
Gases report at: www.epa.gov/
climatechange/EPAactivities/
economics/nonco2projections.html.
1 The fifth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), released in the last year, included methane GWP values
of 28 to 34. The United States and other developed countries are currently using the fourth report's GWP value of 25 to quantify the
climate impact of U.S.-government-supported methane reduction projects.
8 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), Inventory of US. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2012 (EPA 430-R-14-
003), April 2014. www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/ghgemissions/US-GHG-lnventory-2014-Main-Text.pdf.
3

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since 2004, GMi has provided technical assistance
on more than 1,000 projects around the world.
This global collaboration yields important mutual
co-benefits beyond GHG emission reductions, as
shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Co-Benefits from Methane Projects
1
l/l
*$$$


^5°
Increased
Energy Security
Enhanced
Economic
Growth
Improved
Local
Environmental
Quality
Increased
Worker Safety
Improved
Human Health
GMI ORGANIZATION
GMI is composed of an international network of
national governments, industry, development banks,
universities, and non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), united in advancing methane emission
reduction projects across the globe. GMI provides
project development support, with active engage-
ment from the private sector. GMI's organizational
framework consists of a steering committee; an
Administrative Support Group, led by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); five techni-
cal sector subcommittees covering the agriculture,
coal mines, MSW, municipal wastewater, and oil and
gas sectors; and more than 1,300 private- and public-
sector Project Network members (see Figure 3). As
of December 2014, GMI includes 42 Partner Countries
and the European Commission, with Project Network
organizations spanning six continents and multiple
industries.
Figure 3. GMI Organizational Structure
f Steering Committeej
Administrative
Support Group
Agricultural
Subcommittee
Coal Mines
Subcommittee
Municipal Solid
Waste
Subcommittee
Municipal
Wastewater
Subcommittee
Oil and Gas
Subcommittee
C
Project Network Members
j
4

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U.S. LEADERSHIP
EPA leads the U.S. government's GMI efforts, with
participation from other federal agencies and depart-
ments, including the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID); the U.S. Departments of
Agriculture, Energy, and State; and the U.S. Trade and
Development Agency. Since GMI's inception in 2004,
Total U.S.
Government
Funding
Leveraged
Funding
In 2013, the United States supported more than 100
GMI project-development-related activities across 20
Partner Countries in all regions (see Figure 5). These
included information sharing (attending subcommit-
tee meetings within each sector, conferences, partici-
pating in various stakeholder meetings), assessment
(pre-feasibility and measurement field studies) and
capacity building activities (technical workshops
the United States has invested about $80 million in
the Initiative, helping to leverage nearly $529 million
in contributions and/or in-kind services from other
Partners or Project Network members (see Figure 4)
to disseminate sector-specific best practices, study
tours to demonstrate these best practices in action)
around the world (see Figure 6). These activities ulti-
mately facilitate project development and/or technol-
ogy replication in GMI Partner Countries. Examples of
these activities in specific countries are described for
each sector in this report.
Figure 4. U.S. Government Funding and
Leveraged Funding, FY 2005-2013
$80.3
million
USD
$528.6
million
USD
J
600
Figure 5: FY 2013 U.S. Expenditures by Region

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Figure 6: FY 2013 U.S. Expenditures by Activity
A
Capacity Building
13%
Partnerships
4%


m m ui 11 ia uu11
Sharing
1
A


U.S. support for GMI-related efforts helped achieve actual) and opportunities (i.e., potential) as shown in
the following methane emission reduction results (i.e., Figure 7.
Figure 7: Annual Methane Emission Reductions from
U.S.-Supported Projects, 2005-2013

90

80

70

60
OJ

o
50
o
X
40
X


30

20

10

0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
J| Actual Emissions Reductions3 L > Potential Emissions Reductions4
NOTE: This chart uses a global warming potential (GWP) of 25 for methane¦, per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change's Fourth Assessment Report, for the entire time series.
"Actual emission reductions" are those that have been achieved and measured from implemented projects in any given year.
"Potential emission reductions" have been identified through GMI capacity-buiiding activities (e.g., prefeasibility or feasibility
studies) as additional reductions that could be realized if potential emission reduction project(s) were fully implemented.
6

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INTRODUCTION
Collaboration with CCAC
The United States continues to support the Climate
and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived
Climate Pollutants (CCAC), including three CCAC
initiatives that have a methane reduction focus:
Agriculture, MSW, and Oil and Gas. These CCAC
initiatives are complementary to GMI's successes in
these sectors.
GMI and CCAC seek opportunities to synergize their
methane activities and resources where applicable.
CCAC's methane reduction activities often build on
GMI's technical assistance. For example, in early 2013,
EPA technical experts conducted a scoping mission
in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in support of the
CCAC MSW Initiative, which aims to reduce methane
by securing city and country commitments to under-
take a variety of waste management best practice
policies and strategies. In this way, GMI and CCAC's
activities complement one another. Additionally,
CCAC has hosted side meetings at past GMI events.
EPA also supported the development and launch of
CCAC's Oil and Gas Methane Partnership by sharing
its experience working with the oil and gas sector to
identify and deploy practical and cost-effective tech-
nologies to minimize methane emissions.
Methane Expo 2013
Methane Expo 2013—held in March 2013 in
Vancouver, Canada—attracted more than
450 participants representing 44 countries
from around the world, including delegates
from GMI's Partner governments, private
sector representatives, NGOs, and academia.
Convened for the first time since 2010, the
Expo featured high-level plenary sessions
(including one with a speech by the Honorable
Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister),
programming from all five subcommittees,
and more than 90 posters detailing successful
projects, as well as project opportunities.
CCAC also participated in the Expo alongside
GMI by hosting side meetings. The steering
group of the CCAC MSW Initiative gave cities
around the world a chance to work together
on action plans to mitigate methane and black
carbon from the MSW sector, and consider
solutions like organics management and
methane capture from landfills.
Methane Expo 2013 proceedings can be found
at: www.globalmethane.org/expo_canada13/
proceedings.html.
7

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
GMI HOSTS TRI-SECTOR MEETING IN BRAZIL
GMI's three biogas-related sectors—agriculture,
MSW, and wastewater—organized a two-day bio-
gas workshop and joint subcommittee meeting in
Florianopolis, Brazil, in March 2014. The primary
Brazilian organizer for this event was the state of
Santa Catarina environment agency (Fundagao do
Meio Ambiente or FATMA), working with a broad sup-
port team of the state agriculture and fisheries exten-
sion agency (EPAGRI), the state legislative assembly,
and the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC).
At the workshop, more than 300 people participated
in several technical sessions showcasing best prac-
tices and opportunities for recovery and mitigation of
methane emissions across all three sectors.
FATMA hosted this event with the goal of facilitat-
ing a broader state-level and international dialogue
on biogas project development opportunities in the
agriculture, MSW, and wastewater sectors. GMI and
the Brazilian hosts succeeded in attracting a diverse
audience from all levels of government and indus-
try within the state and other regions of Brazil. The
primary outcome of this event was greatly increased
knowledge across all sectors on the benefits of
methane reduction. More importantly, it also renewed
the commitment by FATMA and others to organize a
methane committee across Santa Catarina to develop
and deploy biogas technologies and encourage con-
tinued project development within the state.

Tri-Sector Meeting in Brazil
1VEKSIQADE Ff
"~V-JjCAT Aj
The tri-sector meeting, held at UFSC, attracted participants from 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Finland, India, Mexico, the United States, and Vietnam),
along with Project Network and other industry participants from Brazil.
Subcommittee proceedings are available on GMI's website at: www.globalmethane.org/news-events/
event_detailsByEventld.aspx?eventld=438.
The following sections highlight examples of the
U.S. government's support to GMI to assess project
development opportunities, share information
among key stakeholders, build in-country capacity,
and create and enhance partnerships in each sector
throughout 2013.
8

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FtTagriculture
In 2015, global methane emissions from manure management
will be about 235 MMTC02E, accounting for
3 percent of total global methane emissions.5
CONTINUING WORK IN CHINA
The United States is a core team member in the
World Bank Agriculture Project in Guangdong
Province. The project focuses on reducing
methane and surface water pollution using
anaerobic and other processes as pollution control
technologies, and is part of Guangdong's efforts to
achieve its agricultural pollution reduction targets
required by the national and provincial 12th Five-Year
Plan on Environmental Protection. The latest efforts
are an expansion of the Livestock Waste Management
in East Asia Program (LWMEAP), which operated from
2006 to 2012 in China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
In 2013, experts from the World Bank, the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and
EPA conducted an appraisal mission for the Guangdong
Non-Point Source (NPS) Pollution and Control Project.
The mission included information-sharing meetings
and a series of visits to crop farms, pork production
facilities, and waste processing industries. Mission
findings showed that high-rise pig barns6 are an
important technical option for new and expanding pig
farms. The mission also observed ongoing technology
transfer and adoption, including demonstration of a
covered anaerobic lagoon digester at a commercial
farrow-to-finish farm in Hunan Province.
Also in 2013, EPA assessed several farms near
Guangzhou for program participation and technical
design and is now engaging with potential private
sector partners interested in projects using covered
anaerobic lagoon technologies.
Covered lagoon transferred from GMI demonstration
project in Hunan Province
6 U.S. EPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions ofNon-C02 Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030 (EPA430-R-12-006), December 2012.
www.epa.gov/climatechange/Downloads/EPAactivities/EPA_Global_NonG02_Projections_Dec2012.pdf.
t A slatted floor is installed on the second floor of a barn where pigs are raised. Swine waste passes through these slats to the ground
floor where sawdust bedding absorbs the organic material and initiates an aerobic composting process.
9

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
ONGOING PROJECTS IN THE PHILIPPINES
With support from the Land Bank of the Philippines,
EPA has developed bag digester demonstration
projects on small swine farms belonging to the Buklod-
Unlad Multi-Purpose Cooperative. These projects were
highly successful and built a knowledge base among
the Cooperative members that has promoted addi-
tional project development. To date, Buklod-Unlad has
deployed dozens of tubular anaerobic digestion (AD)
systems to their member farms.
The Land Bank of the Philippines included the Buklod-
Unlad projects as a Clean Development Mechanism
Program of Activities through the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change. The proj-
ects' GHG reductions are yielding Certified Emission
Reduction credits, which have been purchased by the
Spanish Carbon Fund in fulfillment of international
commitments.
CAPACITY BUILDING ACROSS THE PARTNERSHIP
In 2013, the GMI Agriculture Subcommittee began
developing a report on policies and incentives that can
facilitate the use of anaerobic digesters worldwide.
With EPA's coordination, the subcommittee provided
information on government policies, incentives, and
programs to identify best practices and lessons learned
from GMI and non-GMI countries. The final report sup-
ported the following goals:
Promote AD policy development in both GMI and
non-GMI countries; encourage national leaders to
improve existing policies and incentives.
Create a resource library for international policies,
programs, and incentives that impact AD projects.
Support future research and resource development
to advance AD project development and support
beneficial policies and incentives.
10

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©COAL MINES
In 2015, global methane emissions from coal mines will
be about 630 MMTC02E, accounting for 8 percent of
total global methane emissions.7
METHANE PROJECT ASSESSMENT
Throughout 2013, the United States supported
assessment activities in the coal mines sector, including
pre-feasibility studies in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia,
and Ukraine and site visits to Russia and Ukraine. This
work showcased the important potential for emission
reductions in this sector.
Kazakhstan: EPA completed a pre-feasibility study
to investigate the potential for a coal mine methane
(CMM) recovery and utilization project at six mines in
the Karaganda Coal Basin. The study concluded that
power generation using reciprocating engines would
be the best use of CMM recovery at these mines, with
the option of adding waste heat recovery if enough
demand exists at mine operations.
Mongolia: EPA completed a pre-feasibility study for
CMM recovery and utilization at the Baganuur mine that
evaluated on-site utilization of pre-drained CMM to fuel
an internal combustion engine. The study estimated
the proposed power generation project would reduce
CMM emissions by more than 100,000 MTCO,E over the
project's 10-year lifetime.
Ukraine: A pre-feasibility study at the Komsomolets
Donbassa mine sought to assess the technical and
economic viability of installing a CMM degasification
system, as well as options for using this gas to
produce electricity. The study provided a site-specific
recommendation for the most effective gas drainage
program.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND INFORMATION SHARING IN
MULTIPLE COUNTRIES
EPA continued its partnership with the Guizhou
International Cooperation Center for Environmental
Protection (GZICCEP), which is building institutional
capacity to address CMM in southwest China and
identify barriers—primarily lack of financing capacity—
for improving CMM drainage and utilization. GZICCEP is
now working to build a network of CMM drainage and
utilization practitioners in southwest China to accelerate
CMM project development and investment. The
network will continue to operate as a regional methane
emission reduction informational and advisory center.
Attendees at the southwest China CMM drainage and
utilization workshop
7 U.S. EPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions ofNon-C02 Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030, December 2012.
11

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
In October 2013, GZICCEP sponsored a workshop that
included a review of technical and policy factors driving
CMM recovery and utilization project development in
southwest China. The workshop featured project devel-
opment business models and best practices, new low-
concentration CMM purification technologies, region-
specific CMM extraction challenges, and CMM drainage
and utilization case studies, as well as a site visit to the
Qinglong coal mine.
India: The United States continues to support collabo-
ration with the government of India to address the chal-
lenges of reducing CMM emissions in one of the world's
largest coal producing nations. In November 2013,
the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute (CMPDI)
held an international workshop on "Development of
Coal Based Non-Conventional Energy Resources in
India." Attended by about 150 top government officials,
international technical experts, project operators, and
representatives from academia and research organiza-
tions, the workshop focused on policy issues, emerging
technologies, research trends, and project development
opportunities and challenges.
The United States helped establish India's "Coal Mine
Methane Clearinghouse" several years ago and con-
tinues that collaboration. In 2013, the Clearinghouse
translated the first technical book on coalbed methane
in Hindi, titled Coal Bed Methane: A Clean Energy Source.
Mongolia: The United States continued to support ef-
forts of Mongolian officials regarding legal and regula-
tory treatment of CMM worldwide and how to develop
policy framework to facilitate and encourage develop-
ment of CMM projects in Mongolia. EPA developed a
white paper assessing Mongolia's legal and regulatory
administration of CMM, including several case studies
of CMM regulatory and ownership conventions in the
United States and other key coal-producing countries.


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Plenary session presenters at the CMPDI workshop
Ukraine: In 2013, the United States sponsored a seminar
featuring panel discussions on implementation of CMM
legislation, legal definitions of CMM-based energy, and
policy options for supporting CMM projects. Speakers
included representatives from Ukrainian state and na-
tional governments, EPA, NGOs, and the private sector.
12

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1
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
In 2015, global methane emissions from landfills will
be about 876 MMTC02E, accounting for 11 percent of
total global methane emissions.8
PILOT DEMONSTRATION IN ARGENTINA
The Argentina Solid Waste Association (ARS), with
support from the United States, identified several
landfills for a potential pilot project; after evaluation, it
chose the Neuquen Landfill. During the project's first
phase, ARS conducted a pump test to confirm the
available landfill gas (LFG). Since there was enough
LFG for the project, ARS installed seven horizontal wells
and began flaring the LFG. The second phase entailed
the installation of the distributed generator system and
the official project startup.
ONGOING EFFORTS IN BRAZIL
With U.S. support, the Appalachian State University
Energy Center undertook efforts to utilize LFG from
the Maracanau Landfill in Brazil, create local economic
opportunities for small business, and create jobs
for 75 families of "catadores" (wastepickers). These
efforts are part of the ongoing planning and design
of a community-based LFG utilization project at the
landfill that will facilitate construction of a cost-effective
collection system at the site, and explore potential
for other solid waste management systems such as
anaerobic digestion and/or gasification.
Neuquen Landfill methane collection, burning, and
power generation plant
Through this collaboration, plans for separate plastics
recycling and a recycled glass processing plant were
proposed as essential elements for the Maracanau
Landfill, and ongoing efforts will evaluate whether LFG
can be used to provide power for these plants.
In July 2013, EPA gathered data for proposed solid waste
management projects under CCAC's Rio work plan. EPA
visited diverse waste management facilities, including
two wood waste processors and the VideVerde Mage
composting facility.
ASSESSMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING IN PARTNER
COUNTRIES
Throughout 2013, the Unites States supported a variety at landfills and waste management facilities in Ghana,
of assessment activities including site visits, scoping Indonesia, Mexico, Turkey, and Ukraine,
missions, data collection, and prefeasibility studies)
* U.S. LPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-C02 Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030, December 2012.
13

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ghana: EPA and the Clinton Climate Initiative, partners
in CCAC's MSW Initiative, conducted a preliminary
scoping mission to Accra to collect data for an
assessment of the city's waste management. That
assessment, in turn, will facilitate additional analysis to
identify opportunities for short-lived climate pollutant
(SLCP) abatement and mitigation. For example, the
mission assessed food waste at the Arbogbloshie
Market as part of an effort to evaluate feedstocks for
potential composting operations.
Indonesia: The United States supported the city-
specific CCAC MSW Initiative by working with the
city of Jakarta and other key stakeholders including
the World Bank and the Indonesia Ministry of Public
Works; as a result, Jakarta signed a formal agreement
to participate in the MSW Initiative. The meetings also
provided an important venue for progress reports
on about landfill operations, the development of a
technical manual on LFG management, and the World
Bank's solid waste loan programs.
Mexico: Throughout 2013, EPA evaluated the technical
feasibility—as well as the institutional and political
framework—of capturing and using methane gas at the
1113 Landfill in Cancun, including preparation of a final
pre-feasibility study translated into Spanish.
Turkey: In 2013, EPA collected site data to evaluate the
technical feasibility of capturing and using methane gas
at three landfills in Turkey. These assessments will assist
in the early methane collection at the landfills and in
determining electricity generation potential.
Agbogbloshie Market, Accra's largest open food
market, evaluated for potential composting
opportunities
Ukraine: In 2013, EPA evaluated the feasibility of
capturing and using methane gas at the Dergachi
Landfill, and produced a final assessment report that
was translated into Russian.
EPA also conducted nearly a dozen workshops and
training sessions in Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia,
Mexico, Russia, and Turkey, offering training to almost
1,000 people. Among the topics were landfill operation
and maintenance (e.g., cover materials, stormwater
control, leachate management), how to assess MSW
landfills for LFG recovery, and proper operation of LFG
recovery and utilization systems.
14

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ONGOING ASSESSMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING,
AND PARTNERSHIPS

OIL AND GAS
In 2015, global methane emissions from oil and natural gas
systems will be about 1,778 MMTC02E, accounting for
24 percent of total global methane emissions.9
The United States is proud of its leadership in supporting
and advancing methane emission reduction efforts
in partnership with oil and natural gas companies
worldwide in 2013. The program especially made great
progress in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. As a
result, many companies in these regions have developed
mature, robust programs; they have purchased field
measurement equipment, developed internal technical
resources, and considered implementing cutting-edge
emission reduction technology identified through
GMI-sponsored measurement campaigns. EPA staff
also continued to promote a better understanding of
U.S. upstream oil and gas regulations that identify,
measure, and mitigate methane emissions in hopes that
experience might be transferable and/or adopted by oil
and natural gas companies.
Asia
In March 2013, EPA teams provided training for Chinese
oil and natural gas companies on methodologies
for estimating and prioritizing operational methane
emissions as well as identifying and implementing
emission reduction technologies and practices. The
growth of Natural Gas STAR International (NGSI)
in 2013 reflected this regional enthusiasm, with the
addition of PTT (Thailand) and VICO Indonesia as new
Partners. EPA teams conducted methane emission
measurement/capacity building field studies at
various PTT Thailand facilities and at VICO Indonesia's
Badak facilities—both are major regional natural
gas producers. The identified emission reduction
New Natural Gas STAR
International Members
in 2013
•	Kuwait Oil Company
•	Odessagaz (Ukraine)
•	OGX Petroieo e Gas Ltda (Brazil)
•	PTT (Thailand)
•	VICO Indonesia
	J
opportunities included flare gas recovery, use of
instrument air for pneumatic devices, and reciprocating
compressor rod packing replacement.
EPA further expanded its technical training and
outreach to Asia through workshops and conference
presentations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. In 2013,
the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation of India (ONGC)
hosted a highly successful first all-India NGSI workshop
and plans to conduct workshops to continue promoting
methane reductions from the oil and gas industry in
India.
9 U.S. EPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-C02 Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030, December 2012.
15

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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Latin America
Throughout 2013, the United States continued outreach
and promotion in the Latin American region. Working
with EPA, Colombia's Ecopetrol is developing a
directed inspection and maintenance training program,
estimating emissions from casing head gas, and
supporting the design of a vapor recovery unit capture
system. EPA also continued its long collaboration with
Middle East
EPA is expanding the reach of GMI and the NGSI into
Middle East countries through technical workshops and
one-on-one meetings with key oil and gas operators
in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Regional successes
in 2013 included first-time Expo attendance by eight
Kuwaiti, three Saudi, and one Qatari oil and gas
company representatives. EPA also continued its dialog
with key Middle East oil and gas companies that have
expressed interest in technology transfer and reducing
methane emissions from their oil and gas industries
by traveling to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia
in late 2013. Saudi Arabia joined GMI as result of these
efforts, and the Kuwait Oil Company joined NGSI.
PEMEX, Mexico's state-owned oil and gas company.
This effort has led to identification of new projects
that manage emissions from storage tanks, which
strategically positions PEMEX for an open, competitive
marketplace after the implementation of Mexico's
energy reform.
Kuwait Oil Company Chief Executive Officer and
U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait signing the official NGSI
Memorandum o f Understanding
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In 2015, global methane emissions from municipal wastewater
systems will be about 539 MMTC02E, accounting for
7 percent of total global methane emissions.10
CAPACITY BUILDING WITHIN SECTOR
Draft U.S. Wastewater Sector Methane Action
Plan: Throughout 2013, EPA developed the draft
U.S. Wastewater Sector Methane Action Plan to
characterize the municipal wastewater sector in the
United States, thus helping to guide the mitigation,
recovery, and use of methane emissions in the sector.
This plan is a wastewater-specific companion plan to
the overarching U.S. GMI Methane Action Plan.
Sector-Specific Fact Sheet: As one of the key
subcommittee documents identified in the
Wastewater Sector Methane Action Plan, EPA led
development of a sector-specific GMI fact sheet that
summarized the municipal wastewater sector and the
activities the subcommittee plans to pursue.
EFFORTS IN MEXICO
The United States' activities in the municipal
wastewater sector have been aimed at engaging
stakeholders from the public and private sectors
(including academia) in an effort to raise awareness
of methane capture and use opportunities within
wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs). In 2013, EPA
focused its effort in Mexico through meetings with the
Secretariat for Environment and Natural Resources of
Mexico (SEMARNAT), the National Institute of Ecology
and Climate Change (INECC), and the Mexico water
ministry (CONAGUA) from the public sector, along
with academia and private sector entities such as the
National Autonomous
University of Mexico (UNAM) and Water and
Wastewater Association of Mexico (ANEAS).
From the private sector perspective, EPA engaged
ANEAS to discuss opportunities for future collaboration
in the area of biogas recovery in the municipal
wastewater sector, given the association's extensive
capacity to reach operators and decision-making
officials across Mexico. EPA also engaged with UNAM
to discuss ongoing evaluation of Mexican WWTFs and
efforts to develop a GHG emission factor for these
facilities—work that could be transferable to other Latin
American countries.
U.S.-SUPPORTED PARTNERSHIPS
Chile: The University of Tennessee received U.S.
support to study and assess methane emission
reduction opportunities in Chile's wastewater sector,
with specific focus on municipal WWTFs. Project
results will provide much-needed guidance for
selecting environmentally and economically sustainable
technologies for waste treatment and methane
recovery in Chile. Additional anticipated outcomes
include promotion of U.S. technology and expertise
for enhanced methane capture and use in Chile, as
well as within the world clean energy market and other
economies in transition.
10 U.S. EPA, Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-C02 Greenhouse Gases: 1990-2030, December 2012.
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THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S GLOBAL METHANE INITIATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
China: With EPA support, West Virginia University
initiated collaboration with Tianjin University (TU) to
develop an inventory of wastewater and municipal
WWTFs in the major Chinese cities, as well as identify
ways to recover and use methane from these systems.
This effort has included data collection and a successful
TU-hosted workshop on methane digester gas
production, treatment, and application, including a visit
to the Jizhuangzi WWTF and a water reclamation plant
in Tianjin.
Attendees of Digester Gas Workshop at Tianjin
University
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LOOKING FORWARD
For more than a decade, GMI has sought to reduce global methane emissions and
advance the abatement, recovery, and use of methane as a valuable clean energy
source. The U.S. government continues to lead this effort by conducting assessments,
building capacity, sharing information, and establishing partnerships to facilitate project
development in GMI Partner Countries. Recognizing methane mitigation is critical to reducing
climate change impacts, the United States will continue its leadership of international methane
mitigation efforts.
Specific upcoming efforts include:
Enhanced cross-initiative collaboration. The
United States will work to harmonize methane
mitigation efforts conducted under GMI and CCAC,
especially in the agriculture, MSW, and oil and gas
sectors. For example, the United States will collabo-
rate with its GMI and NGSI Partners through CCAC's
Oil and Gas Methane Partnership, which is designed
to help corporate oil and gas industry leadership
better understand and manage methane emission
reductions over time and receive recognition for
their progress.
Roadmap for GMI Post-2015. GMI's charter—estab-
lished in 2010—sunsets in 2015. The United States
will work with key GMI Partners to develop a new
GMI charter that takes into account the changing
international policy landscape.
International Methane Forum. The United States
will organize this forum, anticipated in early 2016.
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NOTES

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Global
Methane Initiative
www.globalmetliane.org
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