SYLLABUS

GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment  

Context: Methane emissions are projected to be about 5% higher in 2030 compared to 2020 according to the Global Methane Status Report 2025.

Key Highlights of the Report

• Global Methane Emissions:
  o China and the United States are the largest and second-largest methane emitters globally, respectively.
  o CMethane is over 80 times more potent than CO₂ over a 20-year timeframe.
  o CAnthropogenic methane emissions were 352 million tonnes in 2020, projected to rise to 369 million tonnes by 2030 under existing policies.
  o CMethane from waste burning increased by 43% between 1995 and 2020, rising from 56 to 80 million tonnes.
  o CThe new current legislation (CLE) scenario projects that methane emissions in 2030 will be 14 million tonnes lower than previously estimated, which equals over 10% of the current annual methane emissions from the global energy sector.
  o CThe G20-plus EU, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, New Zealand together emit 65% of global methane.

• Global Mitigation Potential:
  o The energy sector accounts for 72% of the global technical mitigation potential for 2030, followed by agriculture and waste.
  o Full-scale methane reduction could avoid 0.2°C warming by 2050 and prevent 180,000 premature deaths annually by 2030.

• India-Specific Findings:

• o CIndia is the third-largest methane emitter, producing about 31 million tonnes annually nearly 9% of global emissions.
  o In 2020, agriculture produced approximately 20 million tonnes of methane, compared to 4.5 million tonnes from the energy sector.
  o Agriculture remains the leading source of methane emissions, with livestock and rice cultivation accounting for about 12% of global agricultural methane output.
  o Methane from waste burning rose from 4.5 million tonnes in 1995 to 7.4 million tonnes in 2020, marking a 64% increase.

• India is a Hotspot because:
  o Methane from crop residue burning is increasing and now forms one of the fastest-growing emission sources in India.
  o Waste management challenges have raised methane emissions in urban and peri-urban regions.
  o India remains one of the few major emitters that has not included agricultural methane mitigation in its NDCs.

Important Active Global Programmes identified by the Report

• Global Methane Pledge: It was launched at COP26, this pledge unites 159 countries and the EU to collectively reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. 
• Methane Alert and Response System (MARS): It is an advanced monitoring system that uses satellite data and analytics to detect large methane leaks worldwide in near real-time. 
• Zero Routine Flaring by 2030: It is a global initiative to end routine natural gas flaring in oil production by 2030. 
• Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter: The charter supports technologies and policies that limit methane leaks, improve energy efficiency, and transition to lower-carbon operations.

About the Report 

• The Global Methane Status Report (GMSR) 2025 is released by United Nations and Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
• It reviews progress under the Global Methane Pledge and serve as a key assessment of progress on global methane reduction targets.

Sources:
Down to Earth
UNEP Org