SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE

This report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) provides a mine-level assessment of global coal mine methane emissions, finding that operating mines emit 52.3 million tonnes of methane per year. This volume rivals emissions from the oil and gas sectors and is significantly higher than many national inventories report. The analysis identifies China, specifically Shanxi province, as the primary source of these emissions and warns that proposed new mine projects could add another 11.3 million tonnes annually, potentially locking in emissions equivalent to the coal-based CO2 emissions of the United States.

• Operating coal mines worldwide emit 52.3 million tonnes of methane annually, which exceeds the International Energy Agency's (IEA) assessments for oil (39 million tonnes) and gas (45 million tonnes). These emissions translate to 1,560–4,320 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent (CO2e) per year over a 100-year and 20-year timeframe, respectively; the 20-year impact is comparable to the CO2 emissions of all coal plants in China.
• China is the largest source of coal mine methane, with its major mines emitting 38.4 million tonnes per year, accounting for 73% of global emissions. Shanxi province is the single largest emitter, releasing 13.1 million tonnes of methane—an amount roughly equal to the rest of the world combined (13.8 million tonnes), despite producing less than 15% of global coal.
• There are 465 new mines or expansions under development that could emit an additional 11.3 million tonnes of methane per year. This would result in 338–936 Mt of CO2e100 and CO2e20, respectively, which is equivalent to the coal-based CO2 emissions of the United States. China, Russia, and Australia account for 80% of these potential new emissions.
• To align with the IEA's Net Zero 2030 roadmap, coal mine methane emissions must decrease by 11% every year until 2030. GEM estimates that emissions need to fall by 41.7 million tonnes to meet these targets, which is higher than the 31 million tonne reduction planned in the IEA scenario.
• Methane emissions are highly concentrated in underground mines, which account for 85% (44 million tonnes) of all coal mine methane emissions, compared to 15% (8 million tonnes) from surface and mixed mines. However, some surface mines are statistical outliers that emit methane at levels comparable to underground operations.
• National inventories reported to the UNFCCC likely underestimate methane emissions. In the United States, GEM's figures for Appalachia are 44% higher than the UNFCCC national inventory. In Australia, satellite data suggests the methane intensity of coal mining is 47% higher than IEA estimates.

APA

Tate, R. D. (2022). SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE. Global Energy Monitor. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_CCM2022_r4_23.pdf

Chicago

Tate, Ryan Driskell. SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE. Global Energy Monitor, 2022. https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_CCM2022_r4_23.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tate |first1=Ryan Driskell |title=SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE |publisher=Global Energy Monitor |date=March 2022 |url=https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_CCM2022_r4_23.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tate2022sizing, author = {Tate, Ryan Driskell}, title = {{SIZING UP COAL MINE METHANE}}, institution = {Global Energy Monitor}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://globalenergymonitor.org/sites/default/files/migration/reports/GEM_CCM2022_r4_23.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }