Methane 101: Why It Matters, Where It Comes From, and How to Tackle It

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes approximately 0.5°C to global temperature increases. Human-made sources—including the fossil fuel industry, landfills, livestock, and agriculture—account for about 55% of methane pollution, while natural sources like wetlands and permafrost account for 45%. Mitigation strategies focus on stopping leaks in the oil and gas supply chain, improving landfill waste management, and altering livestock diets. International efforts include the Global Methane Pledge, aiming for a 30% reduction from 2020 levels by 2030, and EU regulations banning venting and flaring. RMI supports these goals through data tools like the Oil Climate Index plus Gas (OCI+), WasteMAP, and the MiQ certification standard.

• Methane is significantly more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term, with a warming power over 80 times greater than CO2 over a 20-year period. It is responsible for roughly 0.5°C of global temperature increase, representing nearly 30 percent of human-made warming to date.
• Human-made activities contribute approximately 55 percent of methane pollution, primarily from the fossil fuel industry, landfills, livestock, and agriculture. Natural sources, such as swamps, wetlands, and thawing permafrost, contribute the remaining 45 percent.
• Methane emissions are linked to ground-level ozone (smog) and the co-emission of hazardous toxins. For instance, benzene, a carcinogen, and hydrogen sulfide can be released alongside methane from oil and gas infrastructure.
• Global and regional policy frameworks are targeting methane reductions, notably the Global Methane Pledge, which seeks a 30 percent reduction in 2020 methane levels by 2030 and has 159 country signatories. Additionally, European Union regulations implemented in 2024 include bans on flaring and venting.
• RMI employs several technical tools to track and certify methane emissions, including the OCI+ for life-cycle emissions of oil and gas resources, WasteMAP for waste sector emissions, and the MiQ certification standard, which has certified 24 billion cubic feet per day of low-leakage gas.

APA

RMI (2026). Methane 101: Why It Matters, Where It Comes From, and How to Tackle It. https://rmi.org/resources/methane-101-why-it-matters-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-tackle-it/

Chicago

RMI. Methane 101: Why It Matters, Where It Comes From, and How to Tackle It. 2026. https://rmi.org/resources/methane-101-why-it-matters-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-tackle-it/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Methane 101: Why It Matters, Where It Comes From, and How to Tackle It |date=27 February 2026 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/methane-101-why-it-matters-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-tackle-it/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2026methane, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Methane 101: Why It Matters, Where It Comes From, and How to Tackle It}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/methane-101-why-it-matters-where-it-comes-from-and-how-to-tackle-it/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }