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Steering Committee

Members of the Steering Committee govern the overall framework, policies, and procedures of GMI, annually review progress, and provide guidance to the Secretariat and Subcommittees. The Steering Committee meets in-person or virtually at least once per year, at times and locations to be determined by its appointed representatives. The Steering Committee makes decisions by consensus.

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Leadership

The GMI Steering Committee is chaired by Helen Ryan, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Environmental Protection Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Under the current TOR, up to two Vice Chairs may be appointed, each for a 2-year term. The Steering Committee members recently concurred with the selection of India and the United States to serve as Vice Chairs. The new Vice Chairs are Mr. V.K. Tiwari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, Government of India, and Mr. Tomás Carbonell, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Members

Delegates from GMI Partner countries participate in the Steering Committee. All Partners are considered Steering Committee "observers" from the time they join the Initiative. Twelve months after joining and any time thereafter, Partner Countries may submit a request to become a Steering Committee member by sending a letter to the Secretariat that outlines their engagement in the Initiative. Subcommittee Co-Chairs may serve as ex-officio members of the Steering Committee.

View Delegates

Role of the Secretariat

The Secretariat serves as the principal coordinator of GMI’s communications and activities and is responsible for organizing meetings and events, coordinating and distributing communications, maintaining the GMI website, and acting as a hub for information. The focus of the Secretariat is administrative; the Secretariat does not act on matters of substance except as specifically instructed by the Steering Committee. Currently, the Secretariat is supported and hosted by the United States, at the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC.

More about the Secretariat

Chair

GMI Steering Committee Chair, Canada
Canada

Vice Chair

GMI Steering Committee Vice Chair, India
India

Vice Chair

GMI Steering Committee Vice Chair, United States
United States

Activities of the Steering Committee

18 May 2021 GMI Steering Committee Meeting
The Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Steering Committee met virtually on 18 May 2021. The purpose of the Steering Committee meeting was to review and adopt the new Terms of Reference, update members about the "opt-in" process, and share GMI news and updates.
10 March 2020 GMI Steering Committee Meeting
The Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Steering Committee met virtually on 10 March 2021. The purpose of the Steering Committee meeting was to hold discussions regarding governance, rechartering, and other future plans for the Steering Committee, including the 2021 virtual event A Call to Action on Methane.
2–3 December 2020 GMI Steering Committee Meeting
The Global Methane Initiative’s (GMI) Steering Committee met virtually on 2-3 December 2020. The purpose of the Steering Committee meeting was to review feedback provided by the Executive Task Force and make decisions regarding key questions about the future of GMI.
May-July 2020 Executive Task Force Virtual Meetings
The GMI Steering Committee was scheduled to meet in person on 23 and 25 March 2020 during the Global Methane Forum 2020 in Geneva, Switzerland. Because the Forum was unfortunately postponed, a series of virtual sessions were held with an "Executive Task Force" to facilitate discussion and decision-making regarding the future of GMI, among other issues.
18 - 19 November 2019 GMI Steering Committee Meeting
Paris, France
The 2-day meeting took place at the United Nations Environment Programme, UNESCO headquarters annex, hosted by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Secretariat.

Resources

For a complete list of available Steering Committee resources, please visit the resources page. The resources page includes white papers, meeting proceedings, technical documents, presentations, and other tools.

View all Steering Committee resources

Terms of Reference for the Global Methane Initiative

Establishes the Terms of Reference for national government entities who participate in the Global Methane Initiative.

Global Methane Initiative Communique: Momentum on Methane (2018)

Recognizes the achievements of GMI Partners and confirms the GMI's commitment to incentivize scientific and technological innovations on monitoring, measuring and mitigating methane, as well as facilitating access to financing and investment resources.

Global Methane Initiative Partners Communique (2016)

Distributed during the 2016 Global Methane Forum, the communiqué reaffirmed the Partners' commitment to the Initiative and announced the rechartering of GMI for the next five years to address methane. The communique also described the formation of strategic alliances with CCAC and UNECE to expand international collaboration to reduce global methane emissions.