The newly released Global Methane Budget 2024 highlights methane emissions from human activities have increased by 20% in the past two decades. Methane is one of three core greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. It lasts in the atmosphere for just a few decades, which is shorter when compared to its counterparts, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Methane has the highest short-term global warming potential as it holds more heat in the atmosphere.

The budget is produced by international research partners as part of the Global Carbon Project. It covers 17 natural and anthropogenic (human-induced) sources and shows that methane has increased by 61 million metric tonnes per year.

Pep Canadell, CSIRO’s Executive Director for the Global Carbon Project, said methane concentrations have recently risen faster than ever, since reliable measurements began in 1986.

We have seen higher growth rates for methane over the past three years, from 2020-2022, with a record high in 2021. This increase means methane concentrations in the atmosphere are 2.6 times higher than its pre-industrial (1750) levels.

—Dr Canadell

The report found agriculture contributes 40% of global methane emissions from human activities. This is followed by the fossil fuel sector (34%), solid waste and wastewater (19%), and biomass and biofuel burning (7%).

The top five country emitters of anthropogenic methane in 2020 were China (16%), India (9%), USA (7%), Brazil (6%), and Russia (5%).

The European Union and Australasia have successfully reduced their anthropogenic methane emissions over the past two decades. However, if the trend of anthropogenic methane emissions continues to increase globally, this would jeopardise the success of the Global Methane Pledge, an international commitment to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

Addressing methane emissions from the agriculture sector include improved land management practices, such as improving the efficiency of animal production, provision of feed additives that reduce enteric methane, and breeding animals that produce less methane.