A Primer on Cutting Methane: - The Best Strate - gy for Slowing

The IGSD Primer on Cutting Methane provides the scientific and policy rationale for decision- makers to achieve the “strong, rapid, and sustained” cuts to methane emissions needed to slow global warming in the near term,3 and limit the risk of triggering climate, economic, and social tipping points. [...] This emissions-based radiative forcing of methane of 1.2 (0.90 to 1.51) Wm-2 accounts for the direct effect of methane emissions (0.54 Wm-2) and for indirect positive forcing from the contribution of methane emissions to increased background tropospheric ozone and stratospheric water vapor;97 it also reduces the formation of cooling sulfate aerosols by acting as a sink for the hydroxy radical (OH). [...] Cutting methane emissions is the fastest and best strategy to slow warming and keep 1.5 °C within reach.100 Limiting warming to 1.5 °C would prevent most of the tropics from exceeding the combined heat and humidity conditions beyond the survival limit.101 Warming of 2.7 °C by the end of the century would leave about one-third of the global population outside of the climate niche (2–2.5 billion peo. [...] Cutting methane emissions is the fastest and best way to slow warming in the near- term The Global Methane Assessment confirms that cutting methane emissions is the fastest strategy to limit warming over the next 20 years.185 Pursuing all methane mitigation measures this decade is the only known way to avoid nearly 0.3 °C of warming by the 2040s and slow warming by 30%.186 AR6 confirms that “stron. [...] The technologies exist to cut nearly half of anthropogenic methane emissions from the energy production, waste, and agriculture sectors According to the CCAC, currently available measures could reduce anthropogenic methane emissions from the energy production, waste, and agriculture sectors by 45% by 2030.259 The Global Methane Pledge commits participants to collectively reduce anthropogenic metha.