The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to propose federal regulations to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40 per cent to 45 percent by 2025 from 2012 levels, White House and agency officials said yesterday.
The move to cut methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, is likley to Climate change is expected to be a major issue of discussion between India and the US during Obama's visit to New Delhi for the Republic Day.
"The regulations that were put forward by the EPA today (Wednesday), this is an important step that the President has outlined in his Climate Action Plan.
"It will be an important part of meeting the commitment that the United States made in the context of the announcement that we made in China last fall that would ensure that the United States reduces our level of carbon pollution by 28 percent by 2025," Earnest said.
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Simultaneously, the Republicans - who are now in a majority in the Congress - have introduced a legislation in the US Senate to prohibit any regulation regarding carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions reduction in the US until China, India, and Russia implement similar reductions.
If the preparations in the run-up to the presidential visit of Barack Obama to India during the Republic Day are any indication, climate change is expected to be a major issue of discussion between India and the US.
Also, last week Republican Senator David Vitter introduced legislation to modify the country's energy production.
The Carbon Tax Resolution he proposes would prohibit the regulation of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions in the US, until China, India and Russia do the same.
"This would prevent the unilateral increase in the cost of energy to US consumers and businesses while China, India and Russia avoid taking any action," Vitter said in a statement.