Study calls for quick actions to tackle methane emissions

In the UK, the Environmental Investigation Agency and its campaign partners released a new report spelling out quick actions for governments to take which would significantly cut methane emissions in the fight against climate change.

Methane Matters: A comprehensive approach to methane mitigation, jointly produced with Changing Markets Foundation and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), lays out specific measures to cut methane in the biggest emitting sectors – agriculture, energy and waste.

More than 110 countries have committed to the Global Methane Pledge, an initiative launched at last year’s CoP26 UN Climate conference. The Pledge has the collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.

Although a step in the right direction, this commitment falls short of the ambition needed to stay below 1.5°C warming and, according to the UN Environment Program’s Global Methane Assessment (GMA), methane emissions should be reduced by at least 45 per cent in this critical decade of climate action.

The Methane Matters report also includes models developed by scientists as well as best practice and examples of successful policies around the world.

In parallel, governments should enhance global governance on methane to enable and support national action on methane, with provisions on monitoring, reporting and verification as well as financial and technical assistance.