(WASHINGTON — July 24, 2024) The Bezos Earth Fund announced Tuesday at a White House Summit on “super-pollutant” greenhouse gas emissions that it will provide $10 million in new funding to Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to support MethaneSAT, a groundbreaking satellite that will locate, measure and track methane emissions around the world.
“The Bezos Earth Fund is providing crucial leverage for game-changing climate solutions, building momentum for action exactly when the world needs it most,” said EDF President Fred Krupp. “Cutting methane pollution is the single fastest way we have to slow the rate of warming. This gift from the Earth Fund will help us turn the tide on the climate crisis.”
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with over 80 times the 20-year warming power of carbon dioxide. Methane from fossil fuel operations, landfills, agriculture and other sectors is responsible for at least 30% of today’s warming.
Data from MethaneSAT will be freely available to anyone with an internet connection, making it possible to see where emissions are coming from with unparalleled precision, making it easier for both operators and regulators to find and fix problems faster, and giving stakeholders and the public new ability to hold companies and public officials accountable for the results.
The new grant follows a three-year $100 million donation announced in November 2020. In addition to MethaneSAT, Earth Fund support is helping EDF build confidence in nature-based climate solutions that harness the power of forests, agricultural soils and oceans to capture and store carbon by using peer-reviewed science to ensure the integrity of carbon credits.
Media Inquiries Contact:
Jon Coifman, jcoifman@methanesat.org, (212) 616-1325
Lexie Michel, lexie@sunpr.com, (952) 457-1418
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One of the world’s leading international nonprofit organizations, Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org) creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. To do so, EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. With more than 3 million members and offices in the United States, China, Mexico, Indonesia and the European Union, EDF’s scientists, economists, attorneys and policy experts are working in 28 countries to turn our solutions into action. Connect with us on Twitter @EnvDefenseFund
