A new report from the Center for Global Sustainability, in collaboration with the Energy Foundation China, analyzes 276 methane-related policies from key global emitters, providing a detailed comparison of their policy landscapes and identifying both gaps and successful practices. Shifting the focus from key emitters such as the United States and China, the analysis investigates the policies of 15 countries accounting for approximately 39% of global methane emissions and provides policy recommendations to enhance future methane mitigation efforts.
Enhanced global mitigation efforts for methane, the second largest greenhouse gas, are essential. Major emitting countries such as the United States and China have demonstrated a commitment to reducing methane emissions through collaborative efforts such as the U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration and the Sunnylands Statement on Climate Action. Additionally, both nations endorsed the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to slash methane emissions by at least 30% below 2020 levels by 2030. Despite these advancements, human-induced methane emissions continue to be a global challenge, particularly among other top emitters: India, Russia, Brazil, the European Union, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, and Nigeria.
“Along with the United States and China, major emitters such as India, Russia, and Canada account for more than 60% of global emissions. Yet, existing study shows that current methane policies cover only 13% of global methane emissions, with their effectiveness still unclear,” said Mengye Zhu, CGS Assistant Research Professor and lead author of the analysis. “To fill in the knowledge gap on methane mitigation strategies in major emitting countries, our analysis provides crucial insights into the effectiveness and implementation of current policies beyond the United States and China, highlighting both progress and existing policy gaps.”
The study reveals significant gaps in policy efforts, adoption, and implementation. More than 150 Mt of methane emissions from the key emitters primarily came from energy production, waste, and agriculture. Despite the agriculture sector's larger share of methane emissions, accounting for 47%, only 19% of the policies among the key emitters focus primarily on the agriculture sector. This significant misalignment between emissions and policy efforts highlights gaps in sectoral policy coverage. For instance, emitters such as Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan have high emissions from the energy sector, yet have limited mitigation policies. Similarly, countries with significant agricultural emissions, such as Argentina, Mexico, and Indonesia, lack specific policies addressing methane emissions from agriculture. High-emitting countries like India, Russia, and Iran have few methane policies or regulations. Furthermore, significant ambition and implementation gaps exist across key emitters. Although most countries have pledged to reduce methane emissions, few have translated the commitments into concrete national plans and subsequent implementation measures.
Among 15 key-emitting countries, methane policies significantly vary across the three top-emitting sectors: energy, waste, and agriculture. Many countries primarily focus on the energy sector for methane reduction efforts. However, many of the existing policies tend to be more concerned with safety and resource conservation rather than direct climate mitigation. While regulations on methane emissions from oil and gas are established, notably, countries like Canada and Mexico lack policies specifically targeting methane emissions from abandoned coal mines. Alternatively, Brazil, Australia, Canada, and the European Union have robust policies for reducing methane emissions from livestock. However, methane mitigation policies for rice cultivation in major rice producers, such as India and Indonesia, are less advanced. Lastly, various countries, notably Indonesia and the UK, have implemented measures to reduce methane from landfills, but do not have many policy efforts to reduce emissions from wastewater.
For successful methane mitigation, the key emitting countries need to employ effective strategies and tools to reduce methane emissions and improve environmental outcomes. For instance, strengthening monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems for methane emissions, particularly in developing countries, could ensure accurate and credible emissions reporting. Additionally, adopting market-based approaches or economic instruments (e.g., taxes, and carbon markets) could generate financial incentives that promote emission reductions.
“Despite progress in energy and agriculture, more targeted policies and international coordination are needed to tackle methane emissions across all sectors,” said Ryna Cui, CGS Acting Director and co-author of the analysis. “Canada, Brazil, and the EU provide a benchmark with their comprehensive approaches encompassing regulations, financial support, market mechanisms, and research. Other key emitters can follow their lead to achieve significant environmental and economic improvements.”
To enhance global methane reduction efforts, the analysis offers the following policy recommendations:
- Bridging methane policy gaps. Focusing on translating ambitious targets into concrete actions.
- Strengthening MRV systems. Offering policy incentives to boost business compliance, use precise detection methods, develop unified data platforms, and ensure independent verification to enhance transparency and inform decision-making.
- Diversifying policy instruments. Providing diverse financial incentives, including grants, subsidies, and low-interest loans, to promote research and development and support mitigation efforts, especially in the most challenging sectors.
- Establishing a robust knowledge-sharing mechanism. Creating platforms for exchanging best practices, insights, and lessons learned.
As the world seeks to limit global temperature rise and achieve net-zero emissions, addressing methane output remains a pivotal step in climate action. The analysis investigates critical aspects of methane policies to reveal blind spots in current global mitigation efforts and meet global climate targets.
Check out the analysis here!
