Methane Reduction Alliance

ClientEarth proposes a 'methane reduction alliance' consisting of the world's largest gas importers—including the EU, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and China—to implement a performance standard that caps and reduces methane emissions in the gas supply chain. The proposal argues that by prioritizing gas purchases from countries with similar regulations and applying fees to emissions exceeding the standard, importing nations can drive global methane abatement. The report highlights that capturing wasted methane could provide nearly 210 billion cubic metres of gas, offering a way to bolster supply without expanding gas fields. It also critiques voluntary industry schemes for lacking independent verification and failing to include national oil companies, which hold over half of global gas assets.

• Methane abatement in the next 5-10 years is identified as the most effective immediate action to reduce global warming, as methane is approximately 80 times more damaging than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
• To achieve net zero emissions by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states that methane emissions from fossil fuel use must be reduced by more than 70% from 2020 levels by the year 2030.
• The proposed alliance would use a volume-based performance standard (Methane Threshold) to cap emissions for all gas consumed within a party's territory, applying a fee or tax to gas that fails to meet the quota.
• Voluntary methane initiatives are deemed insufficient because they cover only about 30% of total oil and gas methane emissions and often exclude national oil companies, which control more than 50% of global gas assets.
• Capturing methane that is currently wasted from oil and gas operations could provide nearly 210 billion cubic metres of gas, potentially reducing the need for expanded gas production.
• There is a significant disparity in methane emissions intensity between countries; for example, gas from Algeria is estimated to emit 140 times more methane per unit than gas from Norway.

APA

ClientEarth (2022). Methane Reduction Alliance. https://www.clientearth.org/media/emloulv5/methane-reduction-alliance-final-27-october-2022.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. Methane Reduction Alliance. 2022. https://www.clientearth.org/media/emloulv5/methane-reduction-alliance-final-27-october-2022.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=ClientEarth |title=Methane Reduction Alliance |date=October 2022 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/emloulv5/methane-reduction-alliance-final-27-october-2022.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{clientearth2022methane, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{Methane Reduction Alliance}}, institution = {ClientEarth}, year = {2022}, month = oct, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/emloulv5/methane-reduction-alliance-final-27-october-2022.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }