Methane Matters

The report argues that while the Global Methane Pledge aims for a 30% reduction by 2030, a 40–45% reduction is necessary to meet the 1.5°C target. It details sector-specific interventions: shifting to plant-rich diets and improving livestock management in agriculture; phasing out fossil fuels and implementing leak detection in energy; and prioritizing organic waste prevention and composting in the waste sector. It further advocates for a global governance framework based on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), national action plans, and financial assistance for developing countries.

• To limit global warming to 1.5°C, global methane emissions must be reduced by 40–45% by 2030, which is more ambitious than the Global Methane Pledge's goal of a 30% reduction from 2020 levels.
• Agriculture is the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions (40%), with the livestock sector contributing approximately 32% through enteric fermentation and manure management.
• In the agricultural sector, technical measures could reduce ruminal livestock emissions by 30 million tons per year by 2030, but systemic shifts to healthier, plant-rich diets could reduce emissions by an additional 65–80 million tons over several decades.
• The energy sector can achieve significant methane mitigation at low or negative cost, with over 80% of mitigation measures falling into these categories. Key interventions include leak detection and repair, banning routine venting and flaring, and the managed phase-out of fossil fuels.
• The waste sector contributes roughly 20% of anthropogenic methane emissions. Implementing a combination of composting, bio-stabilisation of residuals, and biologically active cover for landfills could reduce municipal solid waste (MSW) methane emissions by 95% by 2030.
• A small number of 'super-emitter' sites contribute disproportionately to global emissions; for example, in the energy sector, 5% of leaks account for 50% of emissions.
• Reducing methane emissions by 45% could provide significant public health co-benefits, including the prevention of 255,000 premature deaths and 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits annually due to reduced ground-level ozone.
• The report proposes a global governance framework for methane based on three pillars: monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV); national methane action plans; and technical and financial assistance for developing countries.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2022). Methane Matters. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Methane-Matters-A-comprehensive-approach-to-methane-mitigation-part-01-.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Methane Matters. 2022. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Methane-Matters-A-comprehensive-approach-to-methane-mitigation-part-01-.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Methane Matters |date=March 2022 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Methane-Matters-A-comprehensive-approach-to-methane-mitigation-part-01-.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2022methane, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Methane Matters}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Methane-Matters-A-comprehensive-approach-to-methane-mitigation-part-01-.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }