18th session of the Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane and Just Transition

20 March (10:00) - 21 March (18:00) 2023

Tempus, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

At its 18th session, the Group of Experts continued its work to promote the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from coal mines through activities that help the recovery and use of methane in order to reduce the risks of explosions in coal mines, mitigate climate change, and support sustainable development. The Group of Experts also discussed the best strategies for preparing and delivering green transformation of the coal mining regions in accordance with the principles of just transition.

在第18届会议上，专家委员会继续开展工作，通过开展有助于回收和利用甲烷的活动，促进减少煤矿的温室气体排放，以减少煤矿爆炸的风险，减缓气候变化，并支持可持续发展。专家组还讨论了根据公正过渡原则准备和实施煤矿地区绿色转型的最佳战略。

The session started with the report by the secretariat on the recent activities of the Committee on Sustainable Energy, giving special focus to the Committee’s work on building resilient energy systems in the ECE region.

会议以秘书处关于可持续能源委员会最近活动的报告开始，特别着重于委员会在欧洲经委会区域建立弹性能源系统的工作。

The Group of Experts then provided a status of implementation of its 2022-2023 Work Plan, presenting the delivered events, as well as the completed and ongoing studies. It also reviewed the annual reports received from the International Centres of Excellence on CMM (ICE-CMM) in Poland and China and discuss its own Work Plan for 2024-2025. In that context, the Group of Experts addressed the modalities of its future operations and discuss the new arrangement of the Group into three taskforces: on methane emissions, just transitions, and safe operation and closure of coal mines, addressing the issues related to their respective focus, tasks, and membership.

专家组随后介绍了其2022-2023年工作计划的执行情况，介绍了已交付的事件以及已完成和正在进行的研究。委员会还审查了从波兰和中国的国际CMM卓越中心(ICE-CMM)收到的年度报告，并讨论了自己的2024-2025年工作计划。在这方面，专家组讨论了其未来业务的方式，并讨论了该小组的新安排为三个工作组:甲烷排放、公正过渡和煤矿安全运行和关闭，处理与各自的重点、任务和成员有关的问题。

Turning attention to just transition, the Group of Experts evaluated the relevant work that has been done so far by the Group of Experts, as well as by other actors operating in that field, and discussed future activities that it should undertake to best serve ECE member States that are undergoing the process of transformation of their energy sectors. In addition, the Group considered best strategies for engagement with the youth, which is necessary to attract the young generation of professionals to actively engage in shaping the future of the coal mining regions and their local industries.

把注意力转向公正过渡，专家组评价了专家组以及在这一领域工作的其他行动者迄今所做的有关工作，并讨论了专家组为最好地为正在进行能源部门转型进程的欧洲经委会成员国服务应采取的今后活动。此外，工作组还考虑了与青年接触的最佳战略，这对于吸引年轻一代专业人士积极参与塑造煤矿地区及其当地工业的未来是必要的。

The Group of Experts then listened to presentations on relevant activities of its key partners operating in the field of monitoring and abatement of methane emissions from the coal sector, and planed its 2024 session, exploring opportunities for delivering it within the framework of the Global Methane Forum that it will help to organize in Geneva.

专家组随后听取了其主要合作伙伴在监测和减少煤炭部门甲烷排放领域开展的相关活动的介绍，并计划了2024年会议，探讨在其将在日内瓦帮助组织的全球甲烷论坛框架内开展会议的机会。

The session also featured the first part of the thirteenth joint meeting of the Group of Experts and the Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Coal Subcommittee, which continued on Wednesday, 22 March in room XXV and virtually. 

本次会议还讨论了专家组和全球甲烷倡议(GMI)煤炭小组委员会第十三次联席会议的第一部分，会议于3月22日星期三在XXV室和虚拟会议室继续举行。

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“… the expertise is sitting in this room … All of the people who are working on this issue from all aspects of the problem they convene here …”

Ms. Felicia Ruiz, Director, International Methane Partnerships and Outreach, Clean Air Task Force (CATF)
To read more opinions of the experts and access audio files with their interviews please click here