Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026

The Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026 reports that coal mine methane (CMM) emissions have remained steady at approximately 35 million tonnes despite rising coal production since the 2021 Global Methane Pledge. The report highlights a critical lack of transparency, estimating that 89% of emissions were unreported to the UNFCCC in 2023, and that 87% of global coal production relies on generic emission factors rather than direct measurements. While satellite monitoring is increasing, it currently captures emissions from only 10% of global hard coal production. The report concludes that existing technologies could reduce CMM emissions by 54-63% by 2030, with some measures available at no net cost, and that such reductions are affordable relative to industry profits.

• Global coal mine methane (CMM) emissions have remained broadly steady since the 2021 Global Methane Pledge, even as coal production increased. In 2023, emissions reached approximately 34.7 million tonnes, a 0.6% increase from 2021, while global coal production rose from 8,100 million tonnes in 2021 to over 8,650 million tonnes in 2023.
• There is a significant gap in official reporting of CMM emissions. In 2023, only 23 out of 73 coal-producing countries submitted reports to the UNFCCC, leaving an estimated 89% of global CMM emissions unreported. Furthermore, 87% of global coal production is estimated using generic global or national emission factors (Tier 1 or Tier 2) rather than direct mine-level measurements (Tier 3).
• A small number of countries dominate global CMM emissions, with seven countries accounting for 94% of reported emissions. China is the largest emitter, accounting for 76% of global CMM emissions in 2023 and approximately half of global coal production.
• Satellite monitoring is uncovering previously unseen emissions, but a large gap remains between theoretical detectability and actual observation. While 71% of coal production is in regions with favourable conditions for detection, satellites have only observed about 10% of global hard coal production.
• Proven abatement technologies could reduce global CMM emissions by 54-63% by 2030. Ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation could reduce emissions by 23.7% (approximately 9.5 million tonnes) with an investment of $2.5 billion USD. Drainage station capture offers further potential, with 62% of its abatement available at negative net cost.
• CMM mitigation is financially feasible relative to the coal industry's earnings. The cost of cutting CMM in half is estimated at 16% of annual industry profits, based on 2025 global coal mining profits of approximately $23.7 billion USD.

APA

Horner, R., & Assan, S. (2026). Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Global-Coal-Mine-Methane-Review-2026.pdf

Chicago

Horner, Rebekah, and Sabina Assan. Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026. Ember, 2026. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Global-Coal-Mine-Methane-Review-2026.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Horner |first1=Rebekah |last2=Assan |first2=Sabina |title=Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026 |publisher=Ember |date=29 April 2026 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Global-Coal-Mine-Methane-Review-2026.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{horner2026global, author = {Horner, Rebekah and Assan, Sabina}, title = {{Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2026/04/Global-Coal-Mine-Methane-Review-2026.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }