Methane Matters: A Comprehensive Approach To Methane Mitigation

Generated Summary

This report, “Methane Matters: A comprehensive approach to methane mitigation,” published in March 2022, examines the critical need to reduce methane emissions to mitigate climate change. The report, written and researched by the Changing Markets Foundation, the Environmental Investigation Agency, and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, emphasizes the urgency of addressing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, to stay below 1.5°C of warming. The study reviews the current state of methane emissions across key sectors: agriculture, energy, and waste, offering immediate actions for governments. It analyzes the Global Methane Pledge, highlighting the need for more ambitious reductions and proposes global governance frameworks for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), alongside financial and technical assistance for developing nations. The study’s methodology involves scientific models, best practices, and successful policy examples from around the world. The primary focus is to identify sector-specific policies and measures to reduce methane emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, while highlighting the co-benefits of these actions, such as improving public health and creating jobs.

Key Findings & Statistics

• The IPCC warns that even 1.5°C of warming would present numerous risks to ecosystems and humans.
• Methane has 82.5 times more warming potential than CO₂ over a 20-year timespan.
• Anthropogenic methane emissions are expected to increase by more than 15% by 2030, reaching nearly 380 million tonnes per year, an 8% increase from 2020 levels.
• The Global Methane Pledge has a collective goal of reducing global methane emissions by 30% by 2030, compared with a 2020 baseline, but this commitment falls short of the ambition needed to stay below 1.5°C warming.
• According to the UN Environment Programme’s Global Methane Assessment (GMA), methane emissions should be reduced by at least 45% in this critical decade of climate action.
• Targeted technical measures could reduce methane emissions in the ruminal livestock sector by around 30 million tons per year by 2030.
• Measures designed to reduce methane emissions should be seen as a key trajectory to cut all greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reducing methane emissions across all major emitting sectors will also bring numerous co-benefits, ranging from improving public health and creating jobs to saving costs for municipalities. Because methane is a primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, cutting emissions by 45% would also have the potential to prevent 255,000 premature deaths and 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits each year.
• Meat and dairy production is a highly concentrated industry with a handful of companies taking up the vast majority of the market and producing the most emissions.
• The energy sector emits about 129 million tons of methane per year.
• More than 80% of the mitigation in the energy sector could be implemented at negative or low cost.
• The waste sector is the third-largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions worldwide, contributing roughly 20% of all such emissions.
• In 2021, China was the biggest emitter of methane emissions in the energy sector followed by Russia and the US.
• Composting alone could reduce MSW methane emissions by 78%.

Other Important Findings

• The report identifies agriculture as the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions, with the livestock sector being a major contributor. The report recommends policy measures that promote healthier diets with less and better meat and dairy, and more sustainable food production systems, as well as regulating large meat and dairy companies.
• The energy sector offers significant methane mitigation opportunities at zero to low cost through existing technologies, including leak detection and repair, technology standards, and bans on routine venting and flaring.
• The report emphasizes that the waste sector is the third-largest source of methane emissions. Strategies such as organic waste prevention, source separation, and composting are highlighted as crucial steps. The report also highlights waste prevention, source separation, and composting of organic discards can create more and better jobs than other disposal methods, as well as a more stable, dignified livelihood for workers in the informal waste sector.
• The report suggests the development of a common framework for MRV of methane emissions, with the International Methane Emissions Observatory providing support.
• The report recommends setting out to develop a common framework for MRV of methane emissions and points out that collective action on methane will also require technical assistance to policymakers as well as financial assistance to developing countries.

Limitations Noted in the Document

• The report acknowledges the uncertainty around methane emissions estimates from landfills and dumps, as direct measurements are challenging, and models have limitations.
• The report notes that the effectiveness of some feed additives and supplements in reducing methane emissions in the livestock sector has yet to be fully proven.
• The success of anaerobic digestion (AD) is dependent on factors such as clean waste streams and proper maintenance, and can be limited by costs and technical training.
• The report acknowledges potential limitations and uncertainties associated with technical measures in reducing methane emissions, specifically in the livestock sector.

Conclusion

The “Methane Matters” report underscores the critical role of methane mitigation in achieving climate goals. As global temperatures continue to rise, the report stresses the urgency of reducing methane emissions by at least 45% in the next eight years. The authors emphasize that this is a crucial decade for climate action, and the Global Methane Pledge should be seen as a starting point, not the finish line. The report calls for immediate action in the agriculture, energy, and waste sectors. In agriculture, reducing meat and dairy consumption and improving production methods are key. In the energy sector, the focus is on reducing methane emissions from fossil fuels, and in the waste sector, organic waste reduction, source separation, and composting are the priorities. The report highlights the need for a global governance framework for methane, built on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), national methane action plans, and financial and technical assistance. The authors also highlight the co-benefits of reducing methane emissions, including improved public health and job creation. The report encourages policymakers to embrace these measures as a priority. In the words of Professor Dave Reay, meeting climate goals “will need every climate action trick in the book” and cutting methane should be on page one. “Methane Matters” aims to provide a comprehensive approach to methane mitigation to drive sustainable and equitable climate action, while driving for long term fossil-fuel-free, zero-waste societies with healthy plant-rich diets.