The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) today announced a partnership to strengthen methane action in Maryland while advancing planning and emissions-analysis tools that subnational governments can use worldwide.
The partnership is the first of its kind under the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC), a coalition of 37 states and regions co-coordinated by CLEE and Climate Group. Under it, MDE will work with CLEE to evaluate and apply emerging methane planning and emissions-analysis tools to sharpen the State’s focus on the methane components of its existing climate plan, and to identify additional opportunities for methane leadership as Maryland advances toward net-zero emissions.
Maryland already brings some of the most ambitious climate commitments at the state level, a regularly updated greenhouse gas inventory, a comprehensive climate action plan, and in-house atmospheric science and inventory expertise. That foundation is what makes the collaboration possible.
“Climate leadership is about turning ambition into action, and it starts with good data. This partnership gives Maryland another tool to sharpen our focus on methane, strengthen our climate planning, and identify where we can have the greatest impact,” said Serena McIlwain, the Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment. “Maryland is proud to bring our expertise to this work while helping improve tools that can support climate action across the globe. That’s what subnational leadership is about.”
“Methane is the climate emergency brake – the fastest way to slow near-term warming. Most climate action takes place at the state and local rather than national level,” said Ken Alex, Director of Project Climate at CLEE. “Maryland has the data and the expertise to move quickly to reduce methane emissions. What we learn from Maryland’s experience will make it easier for every jurisdiction that follows.”
Pairing a planning framework with an emissions-analysis tool
The collaboration pairs SMAC’s subnational methane action plan framework with an online, machine-learning- and AI-enabled inventory tool that draws on Climate TRACE, Maryland’s greenhouse gas inventory and source data, and other relevant emissions information.
MDE will use these tools alongside its existing data, policies, and implementation experience to assess where methane emissions are concentrated, evaluate how well current strategies address those sources, and identify potential gaps or additional high-impact mitigation opportunities. The work will also complement MDE’s ongoing collaboration with the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland, which supports the State’s greenhouse gas modeling and climate planning.
Maryland’s application of these tools will also improve them. MDE’s technical and policy expertise will help CLEE and SMAC test assumptions, reconcile emerging emissions information with state data, identify methodological and usability gaps, and refine the tools so they better support real-world state climate planning. The partnership is designed to create value in both directions: Maryland gains analytical capacity to strengthen its methane strategy, and lessons from Maryland produce more credible, practical, and scalable tools for other subnational governments.
Why methane, and why subnational
Nearly 100 countries have completed or are developing national methane action plans. Far fewer states and regions have methane-specific plans of their own, despite holding direct authority over landfills, wastewater systems, agriculture, and gas distribution. SMAC’s member jurisdictions represent around 400 million people and a collective GDP exceeding $11 trillion.
The partnership launches in a limited capacity, with scope and timeline to be developed together in the months ahead.
About the Subnational Methane Action Coalition
The Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC) brings together states and regions committed to sharing best practices, collaborating on policy solutions, and driving action to reduce methane emissions. It is co-coordinated by the UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) and Climate Group.
About the Maryland Department of the Environment
The Maryland Department of Environment safeguards public health and the environment through enforcement, permitting, and restoration programs that keep Maryland’s air, water, and land clean for current and future generations.
Media contact
Linnan Cao, Methane Policy Fellow, UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE)
Email (lncao@berkeley.edu) | phone: (518) 867-2739
MDE media contact
Dave Abrams, Director of Communications, Maryland Department of the Environment
Email (dave.abrams1@maryland.gov) | phone: (410) 537-3056