Methane mitigation, key to slowing global warming

Indian Express

5 days ago

— Renuka
Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions is crucial to fighting climate change. After carbon dioxide, methane is the most potent GHG responsible for approximately a third of global warming. It is a colourless, odourless gas that has both natural as well as anthropogenic sources. Naturally, it is produced in a wetland due to the decomposition of vegetation under water. Other natural sources include termites, volcanoes, wildfires, etc.
The primary sectors responsible for anthropogenic methane emissions are: Agriculture, which accounts for 40% of emissions and includes animal manure and rice cultivation. After this, the fossil fuel sector accounts for 35% of methane emissions. Waste management is responsible for roughly 20% of emissions, originating from the decomposition of organic matter in landfills, open dumps, and wastewater treatment systems.
Methane is widely used as a fuel for electricity generation, heating, cooking, and in industrial processes. It also serves as a key feedstock for hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol production, and is used in transportation (CNG/LNG) and as renewable biogas.
Despite its utility, methane emerged as a major climate concern. It has a shorter lifespan compared to CO₂ but is much more efficient in trapping radiation. As the climate crisis intensifies, tackling methane emissions has become an urgent and impactful strategy for reducing GHG emissions.
Reducing methane emissions has long been a part of climate change mitigation efforts. The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) laid the foundation to combat climate change by adopting the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) and placing the obligation on developed countries to reduce GHG emissions. However, being just a framework convention, the UNFCCC didn't specify the GHGs or set binding targets.
To implement the convention, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 2005. It listed six GHGs, and methane was one of them. The Kyoto Protocol imposed binding emission reduction targets on developed countries. The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, marked a shift towards a voluntary approach (nationally determined approach), while still expecting developed countries to take the lead in setting emissions targets. In recent years, abating methane emissions has been recognised as one of the most effective and affordable strategies to reduce global warming.
At COP 26, the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) was launched as a voluntary international initiative with its primary goal of reducing global methane emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030. To enhance global reporting on methane emissions, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also launched the International Methane Emission Observatory (IMEO).
To further support methane data collection, the UNEP launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) at COP27 (2022). MARS is a global satellite detection and notification system that provides data on methane emissions. Building on these efforts, COP 28 established the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter (ODGC), which aims at accelerating the decarbonisation of the oil and gas sector. The charter aims at achieving net-zero upstream methane emissions by 2030.
At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, over 30 countries endorsed the Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste, marking a significant advancement in global climate initiatives. This declaration targets methane emissions from organic waste, such as food scraps, agricultural residues, and sewage, which account for nearly 20% of anthropogenic methane emissions.
The Global Methane Initiative (GMI), launched in 2004 as the Methane to Markets Partnership, is an initiative to foster collaborations to reduce methane emissions. It works in collaboration with other key international environmental initiatives and agencies such as the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Global Methane Hub, and the World Bank Group to reduce global methane emissions.
Over the past two decades, GMI has helped raise global awareness about methane's climate and health impacts, fostered international cooperation, and mobilised investments in methane mitigation efforts.
GMI has also been a key sponsor of various events on methane mitigation. One such event is Methane Mitigation: Technology & Innovation Summit, which will be held on June 2-4, 2025, in Austin, Texas, US. Organised by the Industrial Decarbonisation Network, the summit will bring together energy companies, NGOs and technology innovators. It will serve as a knowledge-sharing platform dedicated to reducing methane emissions from the energy sector.
The discussion will largely be focused on exploring cutting-edge solutions and best practices for measuring, monitoring, and reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas sector.
India has not signed the Global Methane Pledge, primarily due to concern over the shift in focus from CO2 – which has a lifespan of around 100 years – to Methane – which has a lifespan of 12 years. India's major sources of methane emissions are the livestock sector through enteric fermentation and agriculture through paddy cultivation. These sources are linked to the subsistence activities of small and marginal farmers.
Implementing the GMP could negatively impact farmers' incomes, rice production, and India's significant role in global rice exports. Also, these emissions in India are considered 'survival emissions' – essential for food security – not 'luxury emissions', unlike in developed nations where agriculture is industrialised. To reduce methane emissions, no additional burden can be imposed on the small farmers who are already economically marginalised.
Nonetheless, India has undertaken measures to reduce methane emissions. Under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), the government is promoting methane-reducing practices in rice cultivation. Methane mitigation initiatives such as the system for rice intensification, direct seeded rice, and the crop diversification programme are being implemented.
Also, to reduce methane production in livestock initiatives such as breed improvement and balanced rationing, have been taken by The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), through the National Livestock Mission. Programmes like GOBAR-Dhan and the National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme incentivise the use of cattle waste for biogas production and organic manure, promoting clean energy and lowering greenhouse gas emissions in rural areas.
Methane is responsible for around 30% of global warming. If left unaddressed, global methane emissions caused by human activities are expected to increase by as much as 13% between 2020 and 2030. Reducing methane emissions is the most important climate step the world can take. However, it is easier said than done, especially for a developing country like India, where methane emissions are related to food security.
To tackle the situation, a substantial flow of climate finance from developed to developing countries would enable ambitious climate action, including slashing methane emissions. Additionally, crop diversification schemes would aid the efforts by encouraging a shift away from monoculture towards a more varied and sustainable agricultural system.
Similarly, the energy sector, which also accounts for significant methane emissions, offers some of the most immediate and cost-effective opportunities for methane reduction. Developed countries, having historically been the largest producers and consumers of fossil fuels, are well-positioned to lead reforms. They may choose to incentivise methane reduction in developing countries through climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.
Moreover, cutting methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector is easier to detect and measure and having relatively few large companies as actors can make the enforcement a lot easier as compared to the agriculture sector, where solutions are linked to livelihoods and food security. The upcoming Methane Mitigation Summit has the potential to accelerate action in the energy sector and success here could set the stage for broader efforts across harder to abate sectors.
Post Read Questions
Why has reducing methane emission been recognised as one of the most effective and affordable strategies to reduce global warming?
Why has India not joined the Global Methane Pledge? Analyse the socio-economic and agricultural factors behind this decision.
Discuss measures India has undertaken to reduce methane emissions. How do programmes like GOBAR-Dhan and the National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme contribute to methane mitigation?
Evaluate the effectiveness of sector-specific approaches (such as energy and agriculture) in addressing methane emissions. What lessons can be drawn from India's domestic efforts?
Analyse the role of international platforms like COP summits in shaping methane mitigation strategies. How effective have these efforts been in addressing methane emission?
(Renuka is a Doctoral researcher at Himachal Pradesh National law university, Shimla.)
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