The recovery of methane from coal beds around the around the world, not least China, could cut greenhouse gases by 13 percent by 2020, when a return to the emissions levels of today will be sought by policy makers.

The words, those of the International Energy Agency’s energy technology director, Neil Hirst, were heard in Beijing Tuesday at the international Methane to Markets Partnership Expo.

Hirs reminded conference-goers that a carbon-dioxide “incentive” of $30 per tonne could help attain the 13 percent pollution cuts in 2020, which would be the equivalent of “500 coal-fired power plants”.

Coalbed methane is removed from coal by drilling a well or pumping water out of coal deposits.

Certain large-scale emissions reductions schemes and technologies have yet to be perfected enough to gain acceptance by the United Nations as a “clean development” technology eligible for “emissions credits”, the trade in which goes global in 2008. Carbon capture and storage is another unrecognized not yet deemed worthy of earning “emissions credits”.

The Beijing Methane conference runs until Wednesday.