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Context

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) released the Global Methane Status Report (GMSR) 2025 on the sidelines of the COP30 climate summit. 

What is Methane?

Potent Greenhouse Gas (GHG)

Methane is the second-largest contributor to global warming after Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), responsible for about 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution (Source: IEA).

High Warming Potential

It is a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) with a high Global Warming Potential (GWP). Over a 20-year period, it is more than 80 times more potent at trapping heat than CO₂ (Source: UNEP).

Atmospheric Lifespan

It has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime of around 12 years compared to CO₂ which can stay for centuries. (Source: IEA)

Global Methane Status Report (GMSR) 2025: Key Findings

Overall Emission Trends

Global human-caused methane emissions are rising, with the energy sector reached 120 Mt released in 2023. (Source: IEA Global Methane Tracker 2024).

Emissions of methane are projected to grow 13% by 2030 and 56% by 2050 under current policies, driven by population and economic growth, threatening the Paris Agreement and Global Methane Pledge goals. 

Major Sources of Anthropogenic Methane

Every year almost 600 million tonnes of methane are emitted in the atmosphere. Of these, about 60% originate from human activities. (Source: FAO)

Agriculture accounts for 42% of global methane emissions, primarily from livestock digestion (enteric fermentation), rice cultivation, and manure management.

What is Global Methane Pledge (GMP)?

Launch: A voluntary initiative launched at COP26 (Glasgow, 2021) by the European Union and the United States.

Target: To catalyse a collective reduction in global anthropogenic methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.

Signatories: As of November 2025, 159 countries have joined the pledge.

India and Methane Emissions

Emission Rank: India is now the world's third-largest methane emitter, after China and the USA, responsible for nearly 9% of global emissions

India has not signed the Global Methane Pledge. Reasons for Not Joining:

• Focus on CO₂: The government argues the pledge shifts focus from CO₂, the primary long-term driver of climate change, to methane, a short-lived pollutant.
• Livelihood Concerns: A large portion of India's methane emissions comes from agriculture, which is tied to the survival and livelihood of millions of small and marginal farmers. 
• Food Security: Imposing binding reduction targets on agriculture could potentially impact farmer incomes and national food security.
• Sovereignty: India maintains its right to determine its climate actions under the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement commitments, viewing the GMP as an external pledge.

Methane Mitigation Efforts in India

National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): Promotes climate-resilient practices, including methods to reduce methane from rice cultivation.

Sustainable Rice Cultivation Techniques:

• Direct Seeded Rice (DSR): Reduces the need for continuous flooding.
• Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD): A water-saving method that reduces methane emissions by up to 45% by interrupting anaerobic conditions.

Livestock Management: The National Livestock Mission focuses on improving animal breeds and promoting balanced rationing to reduce enteric fermentation.

Waste to Energy: The GOBAR-Dhan scheme promotes the use of cattle dung and other organic waste to produce biogas, effectively capturing methane for use as a clean energy source.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH