CH4 Global throws its weight behind Adelaide to host COP31

Leading Australian agri-tech company CH4 Global supports government moves to bring COP31 to Adelaide, and encourages Australia to join the UN Global Seaweed Initiative.

ADELAIDE, Australia: As Australia’s largest commercial producer of the methane-busting seaweed Asparagopsis, CH4 Global is throwing its weight behind COP31 being held in South Australia ahead of COP30 in Brazil this November.

CH4 Global, which is growing Asparagopsis at scale at the world’s first EcoPark at Louth Bay on Eyre Peninsula, fully supports the South Australian and Federal governments’ push to host COP31, with the state a leader in renewable energy with a clear Net Zero strategy and stringent plans to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions.

Asparagopsis is also playing an important role in bending the climate curve, and South Australia has become a national centre for growing the native seaweed which has been shown to reduce methane emissions from cattle by up to 90 per cent when formulated into Methane Tamer.

Since January, major feedlots in Australia have been feeding Methane Tamer to their cattle – at just .5 per cent of their daily diet - disrupting an enzymatic process in a cattle's digestive system. Developed through a proprietary cultivation and processing method, the solution is scientifically-validated and safe.

CH4 Global Chief Executive Steve Meller said South Australia was the ideal place for COP31, as it has set an example for sustainability initiatives and climate change action for decades. The state recently saw the first methane-reduced beef start selling to consumers via butchers and restaurants.

“Since the late 1960s South Australia has been leading the way, even going back to the introduction of the nation-leading KESAB, as the first state to introduce a container deposit scheme, with its commitment to solar and wind power generation, and then on to the world’s first big battery in the mid 2000s,” Mr Meller said.

“In recent years we’ve worked with the State Government to establish an Asparagopsis industry, as it recognises the importance of reducing methane emissions in the agriculture sector and how much potential there is to make a difference on a global scale simply by growing native seaweed.

“South Australian consumers are now able to eat beef from cows which are better for the climate. It would be amazing if we could showcase this, along with our state’s wider initiatives, to a larger, informed international audience.”

CH4 Global had a presence at the UN’s Climate Week 2025 in New York in late September, where the State and Federal governments, along with the Adelaide City Council, made Adelaide’s case for hosting COP31.

Climate Week 2025 promoted methane as one of the fastest ways to slow warming, with several sessions emphasizing that voluntary actions and technical fixes alone won’t slow the process. Resilience was a common thread, as a way to describe adapting to climate impacts and in determining how and why concise action was needed, rather than just targets. While many countries have set goals, there was growing recognition that many targets were simply pledges - accountability would be essential in future years.

There was also a growing momentum behind nature-based solutions — including seaweed — as credible, lower-risk pathways for climate action.

Most importantly, Climate Week saw the launch of the UN Global Seaweed Initiative; a collaborative platform bringing together UN member states, UN entities, research institutions, industry stakeholders and the community to accelerate the safe, sustainable and inclusive development of the global seaweed sector.

With Madagascar, Indonesia, France and Chile named founding partners of the UNGSI, Mr Meller hoped Australia would also play a key role in the initiative going forward.

“Seaweed is at the heart of everything we do as we work towards climate change mitigation,” he said. “We are founding members of the Australian Sustainable Seaweed Alliance and have played a key role in supporting the growth of the sector across the country, and at CH4 Global, we can provide significant support and leadership in closing measurement and governance gaps.”

Mr Meller said the Climate Week themes aligned closely with CH4 Global’s operations, including the need to create stronger partnerships between governments, researchers, companies growing Asparagopsis and other seaweeds, farmers and regulators. “We’ve been working to close the loop within the Asparagopsis ecosystem and South Australia has been our focus,” Mr Meller said.

“We’re working closely with researchers, local and state governments and policy makers as we grow Asparagopsis, with cattle farmers and soon to be dairy farmers to feed cows Methane TamerTM, and in supporting the sale of their beef to restaurants, supermarkets and butchers.

“That includes our work with farmers in South Australia and NSW, and with partners Lotte International in South Korea, UPL in India, Chipotle in the US and Mitsubishi in Japan. We’re committed to creating an Asparagopsis lifecycle to mitigate climate change, one cow burp at a time.”

About CH4 Global

CH4 Global is on a mission to deliver gigaton-scale emissions reductions over the next decade using whole, dried Asparagopsis seaweed – the safest and most effective way of targeting livestock methane. The company's flagship product, Methane Tamer™, leverages Asparagopsis to reduce enteric methane emissions in cattle by up to 90 per cent. Through its innovative EcoPark cultivation system, CH4 Global is scaling rapidly to meet global demand, ensuring profitability throughout the supply chain without relying on subsidies. With operations in Australia and New Zealand and headquarters in Henderson, Nevada, CH4 Global is pioneering a new era of sustainable animal agriculture. To learn more, please visit www.ch4global.com.