US Commits to Closing Coal-Fired Power Plants at COP28

The US has announced a crackdown on methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, as part of efforts to address the climate crisis at COP28. The new rules aim to cut methane emissions from the US oil and gas industry by 80% by 2038. Additionally, at least 117 governments have committed to tripling the world's renewable energy capacity by 2030 and doubling energy efficiency improvements. Colombia has joined an alliance calling for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, while Indigenous environmental defenders continue to face risks in their fight against environmental destruction. The chief executive of ExxonMobil has called for a focus on technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture, while the UK has pledged funding to protect rainforests and cut methane emissions. The Brazilian president has made ambitious commitments to address inequality and deforestation, but his energy minister's announcement of closer alignment with OPEC has drawn criticism. The Czech Republic has joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, and the UN's top doctor has compared fossil fuels to tobacco. Activists are calling for rich countries to divert 5% of their military budgets to climate finance, and Turkmenistan has joined the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions.