Media release – Global Methane Budget Methane emissions increase by 20 per cent in 20 years

The Global Methane Budget 2024 released today highlights methane emissions from human activities have increased by 20 per cent in the past two decades. [...] “Human activities are responsible for at least two-thirds of global methane emissions, adding about 0.5°C to global warming that has occurred to date.” The report found agriculture contributes 40 per cent of global methane emissions from human activities. [...] The top five country emitters of anthropogenic methane in 2020 were China (16 per cent), India (9 per cent), USA (7 per cent), Brazil (6 per cent), and Russia (5 per cent). [...] 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 per cent by 2030. [...] “We’re also researching how legumes may be used to reduce methane in grazing livestock.” The Global Methane Budget 2024 is the fourth such budget published in the journal Earth System Science Data.