EPA, in cooperation with the Government of India and other U.S. federal partners, has launched a new Methane to Markets information center to help India reduce methane emissions and aid in the global fight against climate change, according to an EPA press release.

The Coal Mine Methane/Coalbed Methane (CMM/CBM) Clearinghouse is the first of its kind in India and will be used in developing programs to recover methane from coal mines and use the gas as clean energy.

Successful coal mine methane clearinghouses operate in several other countries including China, Russia, and Ukraine, according to EPA.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas more than 20 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, according to EPA.

Methane to Markets, launched in 2004, is a public/private partnership that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by promoting the cost-effective, near-term recovery and use of methane, while providing clean energy to markets around the world. The partnership has grown to include 27 countries and more than 750 private sector entities, financial institutions, nongovernmental agencies and other organizations, according to EPA.