Algeria and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding to combat climate change, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions

Algeria and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding to combat climate change, with a focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including methane. The announcement was made on Monday, October 14, on the X account of the United States Ambassador to Algeria.

The agreement was signed by Mohamed Arkab, Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, and US Ambassador Elizabeth Moore Aubin, on the sidelines of the North Africa Energy & Hydrogen Exhibition and Conference (NAPEC 2024), which opened the same day in Oran.

In Algeria, the main sources of methane emissions are agriculture, waste, and oil and gas extraction, the latter being the most significant. Methane, the second largest GHG after carbon dioxide, represented approximately 0.78 million tonnes in 2022, or 17% of African production, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).

In recent years, Algiers has stepped up its efforts to better manage environmental issues through various safeguards. Although its economy is based on fossil fuels, it has committed to reducing its GHG emissions by 29% by 2030, in line with its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Algerian government also announced a billion-dollar investment for carbon storage.

“With the latest technologies, we can reduce emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas [methane, Ed.], for the well-being of our communities and the planet,” said the American ambassador.