Sources of methane emissions due to human activity (year 2020 estimates) [1]
Fossil Fuel Use (33%)
Animal Agriculture (30%)
Plant Agriculture (18%)
Waste (15%)
All Other (4%)
Increasing methane emissions are a major contributor to the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere, and are responsible for up to one-third of near-term global heating.[1][2] During 2019, about 60% (360 million tons) of methane released globally was from human activities, while natural sources contributed about 40% (230 million tons).[3][4] Reducing methane emissions by capturing and utilizing the gas can produce simultaneous environmental and economic benefits.[1][5]
Since the Industrial Revolution, concentrations of methane in the atmosphere have more than doubled, and about 20 percent of the warming the planet has experienced can be attributed to the gas.[6] About one-third (33%) of anthropogenic emissions are from gas release during the extraction and delivery of fossil fuels; mostly due to gas venting and gas leaks from both active fossil fuel infrastructure and orphan wells.[7] Russia is the world's top methane emitter from oil and gas.[8][9]
Animal agriculture is a similarly large source (30%); primarily because of enteric fermentation by ruminant livestock such as cattle and sheep. According to the Global Methane Assessment published in 2021, methane emissions from livestock (including cattle) are the largest sources of agricultural emissions worldwide[10] A single cow can make up to 99 kg of methane gas per year.[11] Ruminant livestock can produce 250 to 500 L of methane per day.[12]
Human consumer waste flows, especially those passing through landfills and wastewater treatment, have grown to become a third major category (18%). Plant agriculture, including both food and biomass production, constitutes a fourth group (15%), with rice production being the largest single contributor.[1][13]
The world's wetlands contribute about three-quarters (75%) of the enduring natural sources of methane.[3][4] Seepages from near-surface hydrocarbon and clathrate hydrate deposits, volcanic releases, wildfires, and termite emissions account for much of the remainder.[13] Contributions from the surviving wild populations of ruminant mammals are vastly overwhelmed by those of cattle, humans, and other livestock animals.[14]
The Economist recommended setting methane emissions targets as a reduction in methane emissions would allow for more time to tackle the more challenging carbon emissions".[15][16]
^ abcd"Global Methane Emissions and Mitigation Opportunities" (PDF). Global Methane Initiative. 2020.
^Methane - A compelling case for action (Report). International Energy Agency. 2020-08-20.
^Borunda, A. (2021, May 03). Methane facts and information. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from [1]
^Leber, Rebecca (2021-08-12). "It's time to freak out about methane emissions". Vox. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
^Trakimavicius, Lukas. "Putting a lid on Russia's planet-heating methane emissions". EurActiv. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
^Timothy Puko (19 October 2021). "Who Are the World's Biggest Climate Polluters? Satellites Sweep for Culprits". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 19 October 2021. Russia is the world's top source of methane emissions from the oil-and-gas industry
^"Yes, cattle are the top source of methane emissions in the US". verifythis.com. 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
^"Cows and Climate Change". UC Davis. 2019-06-27. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
^Johnson, K A (1995-08-01). "Methane emissions from cattle". academic.oup.com. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
^ ab"Methane, explained". National Geographic. nationalgeographic.com. 2019-01-23. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
^Vaclav Smil (2017-03-29). "Planet of the Cows". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved 2020-09-08.
^"Governments should set targets to reduce methane emissions". The Economist. 2021-03-31. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
^Terazono, Emiko; Hodgson, Camilla (2021-10-10). "How methane-producing cows leapt to the frontline of climate change". Financial Times. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
Global Methane Assessment published in 2021, methaneemissions from livestock (including cattle) are the largest sources of agricultural emissions worldwide...
cumulative emissions from thawed anaerobic permafrost sites were 75–85% lower than the cumulative emissions from aerobic sites, and that even there, methane emissions...
sustained reductions in methaneemissions could limit near-term warming and improve air quality by reducing global surface ozone. Methane has also been detected...
regards to direct emissions, nitrous oxide and methane make up over half of total greenhouse gas emission from agriculture. Indirect emissions on the other...
Greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands of concern consist primarily of methane and nitrous oxide emissions. Wetlands are the largest natural source of...
of emissions. Deforestation and other changes in land use also emit carbon dioxide and methane. The largest source of anthropogenic methaneemissions is...
Atmospheric methane is the methane present in Earth's atmosphere. The concentration of atmospheric methane is increasing due to methaneemissions, and is...
greenhouse gas emissions from croplands, some 30% of agricultural methaneemissions, and 11% of agricultural nitrous oxide emissions. Methane is released...
a significant environmental impact, whether measured in terms of methaneemissions, land use, consumption of water, discharge of pollutants, or eutrophication...
dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020, the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with...
about 40% of human-caused methaneemissions. Smaller leaks than can be spotted from space comprise a long tail of emissions. They can be identified from...
emissions to avoid serious climate change. Negative emissions approaches are also being studied for atmospheric methane, called atmospheric methane removal...
gas emissions. Cows, sheep, and other ruminants digest their food by enteric fermentation, and their burps are the main source of methaneemissions from...
cumulative emissions from thawed anaerobic permafrost sites were 75–85% lower than the cumulative emissions from aerobic sites, and that even there, methane emissions...
sediments which decay in an anaerobic environment releasing methane and carbon dioxide. The methane released is approximately 8 times more potent as a greenhouse...
October 2023. Global Methane Initiative (2020). Global MethaneEmissions and Mitigation Opportunities (PDF) (Report). Global Methane Initiative. Hallegatte...
is a list of locations and entities by greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. the greenhouse gas emissions from companies, activities, and countries on Earth which...
direct emissions of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. Indirect CO2 emissions from land use change, and the emissions of methane, nitrous...
belching or flatulence. Today, around 20% of annual methaneemissions come from livestock methane release. In the Mesozoic, it has been estimated that...
Coalbed methane (CBM or coal-bed methane), coalbed gas, or coal seam gas (CSG) is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it...
Fugitive gas emissions are emissions of gas (typically natural gas, which contains methane) to atmosphere or groundwater which result from oil and gas...
Methane clathrate (CH4·5.75H2O) or (4CH4·23H2O), also called methane hydrate, hydromethane, methane ice, fire ice, natural gas hydrate, or gas hydrate...
the project, and some methane is given off annually by reservoirs, hydro has one of the lowest lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for electricity generation...
emissions New Zealand is ranked as the 24th highest emitter. Almost half New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture, mainly methane from...
resulted in annual carbon emission of 65 Mt CO2, representing 0.2% of global emissions, which is comparable to the level of emissions of Greece. A 2024 systematic...
aromatic-free diesel with low-emission combustion). Human activity is responsible for about 60% of all methaneemissions and for most of the resulting...
and it accounts for more than half of nighttime methane fluxes as well as 32% of annual methaneemissions from wetland environments. Ebullition, also known...
be clearly identified. Fugitive gas emissions are emissions of gas (typically natural gas, which contains methane) to atmosphere or groundwater which...
2018. Heede, R. (2014). "Tracing anthropogenic carbon dioxide and methaneemissions to fossil fuel and cement producers, 1854–2010". Climatic Change....
methane. Research in 2022 estimated that the methaneemissions from gas stoves in the United States were equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions of...
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