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Multilateral Partnerships and Activities
Related Links
- Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M)
M2M
is an action-oriented international initiative to reduce global methane
emissions, enhance economic growth, promote energy security, improve
the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Partnership
was announced by EPA in 2004, with participation from the Departments
of State, Energy, and Agriculture, and from the U.S. Trade and Development
Agency and the Agency for International Development. M2M initially targets
three major methane sources: landfills, underground coal mines and natural
gas and oil systems. The Partnership will focus on the development of
strategies
and markets for the recovery and use of methane through: technology development,
demonstration, deployment and diffusion; implementation of effective
policy frameworks; identification of ways and means to support investment;
and removal of barriers to collaborative project development and implementation.
Member countries will work in collaboration with the private sector,
multilateral development banks, and other governmental and non-governmental
organizations to achieve these objectives. To learn more, please go to EPA's
Methane to Markets Site and the International
Methane to Markets Partnership Site. 
- U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway (US-CTC)
- In partnership with USAID, EPA is supporting the US-CTC Gateway, an on-line resource, which provides a current inventory of activities and resources sponsored and supported by the U.S. Government that promote the development and transfer of climate change technologies; and access to relevant and useful information and resources that facilitate the development, deployment, diffusion, and implementation of climate change technologies and practices throughout the world. To learn more, please go to the U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway Web site.
- Asia-Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate
- The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate is a voluntary partnership among six major Asia-Pacific nations (Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea) and the United States. It is designed to accelerate the development and deployment of cleaner, more efficient technologies to meet national pollution reduction, energy security and climate change concerns in ways that promote economic development and reduce poverty. As of 2000, the six partner countries emitted about half of all global greenhouse gas emissions. To learn more, please see the US Department of State's Climate Change page and this fact sheet.
- Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF)
- The CSLF is an international climate change initiative focused on the
development and improvement of technologies for the separation and
capture of carbon dioxide for its transport and long-term safe storage.
The purpose of the CSLF is to make these technologies broadly available
internationally and to identify and address wider issues relating to carbon
capture and storage. Activities include promoting the appropriate technical,
political, and regulatory environments for the development of such technology.
The CSLF was launched in early 2003 by the U.S. Department of State and
the U.S. Department of Energy. EPA participates on the interagency CSLF
working group. To learn more, please go to Carbon
Sequestration Leadership Forum and the
Web site of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum.
- International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE)
- The International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy was established
in 2003 as an international institution to accelerate the transition
to a hydrogen economy. The partner countries view the IPHE as a means
to improve their energy security, environmental security and economic
security. The coordination instituted through the IPHE
leverages limited resources and brings together world’s best intellects
and talents to solve difficult challenges to making the hydrogen economy
a reality. To learn more, please go to the International
Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy Web site.
- Generation IV International Forum
- The United States has led the development of the Generation IV International Forum, a multilateral partnership in research and development for the next generation of safer, more affordable and more proliferation-resistant nuclear energy systems. A new generation of nuclear power plants could produce electricity and hydrogen with substantially less waste and without emitting air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. Since the Forum was formally established in July 2001, the United States has led the development of a technology roadmap, and increased support for research and development projects carried out in support of the Forum's goals. To learn more, please go to US Department of Energy's Gen IV page.
- Group on Earth Observations (GEO)
- GEO was launched in 2003 at the first Earth Observation Summit when
33 nations and the European Commission committed to move toward development
of a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system(s).
The system(s) will provide the tools needed to improve substantially
our ability to identify and address critical environmental, economic,
and societal concerns. Subsequent Summits in 2004 and 2005 led to agreement
on a 10-year implementation plan for a Global
Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). The U.S. spearheaded
the organization of this important scientific initiative. EPA is a member
of the U.S. GEO, which is co-chaired by representatives from NASA, NOAA,
and the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the Executive Office
of the President. To learn more, please go to The
Group on Earth Observations site.
The United States is engaged in a number of multilateral activities that promote clean and efficient technologies and the sharing of critical scientific information among a wide range of government, private sector, academic, and other interested stakeholders. These actions emphasize international cooperation to develop an efficient and coordinated response to global climate change. For its part, the Environmental Protection Agency has provided leadership in several priority areas – capture and use of methane gas, lower emissions of other potent greenhouse gases from industrial sources and the dissemination of technology information and monitoring expertise to developing countries. EPA joins with other U.S. departments and agencies to advance all of the multilateral partnerships in which the United States participates.