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Methane 101 by the Global Methane Hub
Methane 101 by the Global Methane Hub

Methane is the second most abundant greenhouse gas

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a powerful impact on climate change. Reducing methane emissions from energy, agriculture and waste systems is one of the fastest, most effective ways to slow down global warming and protect air quality.

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Executive Summary
Fact Sheet

On this page, learn about

What is methane?

Methane is a highly-potent, colorless, odorless greenhouse gas

Methane is generated by the human production of agriculture, fossil fuels, and waste, and by natural processes such as the decomposition of organic matter in wetlands. Total global methane emissions in 2020 were 647 million metric tonnes (Mt), of which human-generated activities accounted for 59%.

Since human-generated emissions will continue to grow faster than natural sources in the near-term, the percentage of global emissions attributable to human causes is set to increase.

674Mt Total 2020 methane emissions

59% Human-generated methane emissions

  • Other
  • 19% Waste
  • 34% Fossil Fuels
  • 40% Agriculture

41% Methane emissions from natural sources

Why is addressing methane important?

Human-generated methane emissions account for about half of the net 1.04°C the Earth has warmed.

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Methane emissions compared to carbon dioxide

Reducing methane emissions is a powerful pathway for achieving near-term warming targets

Methane’s relatively short lifespan, strong potency, and abundance, as well as its economic value when captured to produce energy, make emissions reductions from this gas a powerful pathway for achieving near-term (e.g., 2030 and 2050) warming targets.

Methane is a “short-lived” and extremely potent climate pollutant

Each greenhouse gas has a different profile due to its different lifetimes and different radiative efficiency (or potency). The graphs below show the global warming potential of carbon dioxide and methane over three different timeframes.

Methane Average Lifetime

11.8 Years

This metric measures the average time a methane molecule remains in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is not destroyed in the atmosphere, but moves between the atmosphere, land, and ocean. Some carbon dioxide is absorbed through natural processes quickly, but some can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Methane Average 20-Year (GWP-20)

82.1

This metric measures the average time a methane molecule remains in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is not destroyed in the atmosphere, but moves between the atmosphere, land, and ocean. Some carbon dioxide is absorbed through natural processes quickly, but some can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

Methane Average 100-Year (GWP-100)

27.9

This metric measures how much energy one ton of a gas absorbs over a century relative to one ton of CO2 and therefore allows different emissions to be standardized into “CO2 equivalents” for tracking.

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a metric often used to compare the ability of a pulse of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) to trap heat in the atmosphere relative to the most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The GWP of carbon dioxide is always 1, because GWP is a measure of how potent a greenhouse gas is compared to carbon dioxide.

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Methane Average Radiative Efficiency

0.0003888 W m-2 ppb-1

Measure of how effectively a greenhouse gas absorbs infrared radiation. It determines the climate-warming potential of molecules by quantifying their radiative impact on Earth’s atmosphere.

Greenhouse Gas Average Lifetime (year) Average Radiative Efficiency (W m⁻² ppb⁻¹) Average 20-Year Potency (GWP-20) Average 100-Year Potency (GWP-100)
Carbon Dioxide 0.000033 1 1
Methane 11.8 0.0003888 81.2 27.9

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a metric often used to compare the ability of a pulse of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) to trap heat in the atmosphere relative to the most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide. The GWP of carbon dioxide is always 1, because GWP is a measure of how potent a greenhouse gas is compared to carbon dioxide.

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Fact Sheet

The State of Methane Emissions

Human-generated emissions can be attributed to three primary sectors

In Agriculture, methane emissions are from the digestion process of livestock (called “enteric fermentation,” accounting for ~29% of human-generated methane emissions), rice cultivation (~9%), and manure management (~3%). When enteric and manure emissions are combined, livestock emissions account for about one third of all global emissions (~32%) and nearly 80% of agricultural methane emissions.

In Fossil fuels, methane emissions are from oil and gas (~18%), coal (~13%), and industrial processes (~1%).

In Waste, methane emissions are from wastewater (i.e., sewage, accounting for ~12%) and solid waste (i.e., landfills at ~10%). Food waste makes up ~44% of solid waste by weight globally.

A cow
Grass
40% Agriculture
Powerplant
Coal
34% Fossil Fuels
A waste hauling truck
A fruit core
19% Waste

Methane emissions by sub-sector

Breakdown of global methane emissions by sector and sub-sector

Global methane emissions by sector AGRICULTURE FOSSIL FUELS WASTE Livestock Rice Cultiv. Oil & Gas Coal Wastewater Solid Waste Enteric Fermentation

Agriculture

  • 32% Livestock
    • 29% Enteric Fermentation
    • 3% Manure Management
  • 9% Rice Cultivation

Fossil Fuels

  • 18% Oil & Gas
  • 13% Coal
  • 1% Industrial Processes

Waste

  • 12% Wastewater
  • 10% Solid Waste

Methane Emissions by Geography

Primary geographies contributing to methane emissions

Asia (including Russia) is the top methane emitter for each of the three major sectors and is responsible for roughly half of methane emissions globally. North America and Europe are smaller contributors, but have expansive civil society capacity, strong regulatory environment, and aligned funding (e.g., US Inflation Reduction Act) that have the potential to drive emissions reductions quickly and create learnings that can apply to the rest of the world.

Top methane emitting regions and countries in 2022

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Geography Agriculture Fossil Fuels Waste Total (incl. Other)
Agriculture (Mt) % of sector total Fossil Fuels (Mt) % of sector total Waste (Mt) % of sector total Total (Mt) % of sector total
Asia 81.4Mt 21% 65.3Mt 16.9% 45.4Mt 11.7% 199.1Mt 51.5%
China 22.4Mt 5.8% 31.2Mt 8.1% 16.6Mt 4.3% 73.1Mt 18.9%
India 19.6Mt 5.1% 3.5Mt 0.9% 7.4Mt 1.9% 32.3Mt 8.3%
Russia 2.2Mt 0.6% 11Mt 2.9% 4.6Mt 1.2% 17.9Mt 4.6%
Africa 23.4Mt 6.1% 14.9Mt 3.9% 11.1Mt 2.9% 53.5Mt 13.8%
Central and South America 30.8Mt 7.9% 5.5Mt 1.4% 13.5Mt 3.5% 50.9Mt 13.2%
Brazil 15.6Mt 4% 1.5Mt 0.4% 5.8Mt 1.5% 23.4Mt 6%
North America 10.2Mt 2.6% 12.9Mt 3.3% 5.9Mt 1.5% 29.4Mt 7.6%
United States 9.1Mt 2.4% 10.7Mt 2.8% 5.1Mt 1.3% 25.3Mt 6.5%
Middle East 1.7Mt 0.4% 21.6Mt 5.6% 4.4Mt 1.1% 27.7Mt 7.2%
Europe 10.3Mt 2.7% 3Mt 0.18% 6Mt 1.5% 20.1Mt 5.2%
Other 3.8Mt 1% 1.7Mt 0.4% 0.7Mt 0.2% 6.2Mt 1.6%
Grand Total 161.5Mt 41.7% 125Mt 32.3% 87Mt 22.5% 387Mt 100%

Explore methane emissions by primary sector

Agriculture
Fossil Fuels
Waste

Between 2020 and 2030, emissions are projected to increase

Bottom-up emissions inventories suggest that human-driven methane emissions have increased globally by more than 50% over the last fifty years.

Livestock (especially enteric fermentation) is one of the dominant drivers of observed emissions increases.

Emissions in all three sectors are primarily driven by growing populations and incomes, particularly in countries with low-efficiency supply chains. In the fossil fuels and agriculture sectors, increased demand for energy and animal protein can be partially offset by increased efficiency in those sectors.

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Methane emissions in select countries and sectors over time

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