Reducing methane emissions is key to the climate fight

Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change, with concentrations increasing faster now than since the 1980s. Human activities drive over half of global emissions, primarily through agriculture (40%), fossil fuels (35%), and waste (20%). The briefing highlights that cutting methane in these sectors could reduce human emissions by 45% by 2030, avoiding 0.3°C of warming by the 2040s. However, government action is currently insufficient; only nine of 174 countries with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have set separate methane targets, and agricultural targets remain largely vague.

• Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide and is currently responsible for nearly 25% of global warming. Although it remains in the atmosphere for only about nine years, its warming power over a 100-year period is 28 times that of carbon dioxide.
• Human activities account for more than 50% of total global methane emissions, distributed across three primary sectors: agriculture (40%), fossil fuels (35%), and waste (20%). Within agriculture, livestock production contributes 32% of the sector's emissions. In the fossil fuel sector, oil and gas extraction, processing, and distribution account for 23%, while coal mining accounts for 12%.
• Significant mitigation potential exists by 2030, particularly in the fossil fuel industry, where up to 98% of coal measures and 80% of oil and gas measures could be implemented at low or negative cost. Combined action across the three main sectors could lower human methane emissions by 45% by 2030, which would prevent 26 million tonnes of crop losses and 255,000 premature deaths globally, while avoiding nearly 0.3°C of warming by the 2040s.
• Current government policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are inadequate for addressing methane. Out of 174 countries that submitted NDCs, only nine established separate methane targets. While 148 countries included agriculture in their NDCs, 86% of those (128 countries) failed to elaborate on concrete actions to reduce farming emissions, instead including the sector in broader economic targets.
• Reducing methane emissions is more cost-effective if done immediately; abatement costs by 2030 could be under USD 600 per tonne, but are expected to be roughly 50% higher by 2050. In the agricultural sector, reducing food waste, improving livestock management, and decreasing animal product consumption could cut emissions by 65–80 million tonnes annually.

APA

Team, Z. (2021). Reducing methane emissions is key to the climate fight. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/science/reducing-methane-emissions-is-key-to-the-climate-fight/

Chicago

Team, ZCA. Reducing methane emissions is key to the climate fight. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2021. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/science/reducing-methane-emissions-is-key-to-the-climate-fight/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=ZCA |title=Reducing methane emissions is key to the climate fight |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=2 September 2021 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/science/reducing-methane-emissions-is-key-to-the-climate-fight/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2021reducing, author = {Team, ZCA}, title = {{Reducing methane emissions is key to the climate fight}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/science/reducing-methane-emissions-is-key-to-the-climate-fight/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }