By TENNILLE TRACY
WASHINGTON—Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Thursday the formation of a new global coalition to fight emissions other than carbon dioxide that contribute to climate change.
The coalition—which includes Sweden, Mexico, Canada, Bangladesh and the U.S.—will be funded with $15 million, mostly from the U.S. It hasn't yet determined which actions it will take to reduce the emissions, nor has it identified specific reduction targets. Such precise goals will be developed in coming months, a senior administration official said on a call with reporters.
The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which Ms. Clinton called a "new global effort to fight climate change," is being launched as the Obama administration moves forward with efforts to regulate carbon dioxide from power plants and other industrial facilities. New rules that require carbon-dioxide cuts follow a failed attempt by Congress to develop a plan to address carbon emissions.
The administration is also putting up federal dollars for clean-energy investments, unveiling a 2013 budget plan this week that sets aside hundreds of millions of dollars for wind, solar and other clean-energy projects.
The coalition announced Thursday will target emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that is far more potent than carbon dioxide, as well as soot and hydrofluorocarbons. Together, these emissions account for more than a third of current global-warming developments, a senior administration official said.
The coalition's focus on so-called short-lived pollutants won't replace efforts to slash carbon emissions, for which "the world has not yet done enough," Ms. Clinton said. It aims instead to complement those efforts.
While the coalition hasn't yet addressed specific actions it wants to take, a recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme identifies more than a dozen steps that could be pursued. If these actions are taken, the coalition could slow the rate of global warmth by half a degree Celsius by 2050, Ms. Clinton said, representing 25% of the world's goal.
The UNEP will oversee the day-to-day operations of the coalition.
Methane comes from natural-gas production, landfills, agriculture and other sources. Experts have been particularly interested in methane leaks from natural-gas production, which some scientists say erode the environmental value of natural-gas usage.
Ms. Clinton said the coalition hoped to recruit more global partners in coming months.
Write to Tennille Tracy at tennille.tracy@dowjones.com
