Background

The Global Methane Pledge, established in 2021 to help keep the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal within reach, has now been endorsed by 159 countries and the European Commission. The pledge commits to a collective goal of a 30% reduction in global methane emissions by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. Despite this ambitious goal, significant gaps remain, particularly within the agricultural sector – methane’s largest source. According to an analysis by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), current commitments from National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national methane action plans could result in an 8% reduction by 2030, a positive step, but leaving a critical 22% gap to the pledge target, which means that action must accelerate. Globally, reductions could reach 32% by 2030, if all available technical measures were implemented across sectors. However, the evidence is clear that current global food consumption patterns could drive nearly 1°C of warming, setting the world on a 2°C warming impact, regardless of other emissions and methane is responsible for the majority of warming from the food system. Dietary shift and more sustainable farming practices must go hand in hand to effectively mitigate global heating and avoid climate tipping points.

This briefing provides an overview of 27 country NDCs and National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), along with the EUs NDC, outlining how they address agricultural methane, the largest source of global methane emissions and the least regulated sector. Country NDCs were included in the analysis based on their geographic spread, and relative production and consumption of animal products. In addition to our own research, this briefing also draws on research from the Global Methane Status Report, the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor, and the Food Systems NDC Scorecard.

Key findings, recommendations and four country case studies showcasing best practice and challenges are highlighted, alongside two important examples of governments that have recently weakened their methane ambition. A more detailed analysis of agricultural methane in NDCs can be found at methaneactiontracker.org, which is regularly updated.