China methane study reveals complexities of effective emissions policy
- Researchers document direct relationship between changes in coal mining and agriculture with rises and falls in levels of the greenhouse gas
- A reduction in methane emissions is vital if China is to achieve its climate change target of carbon neutrality by 2060
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Monday, found that changes in China’s methane emissions between 2010-2017 were closely linked to its energy and environment policies.
Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, accounting for 17 per cent of global emissions. But in the first 20 years of its release in to the atmosphere, its warming power is 80 times more than that of carbon dioxide.
Methane is emitted from a wide range of human activities, including fossil energy production, agriculture and municipal waste treatment. Methane emissions in the coal industry account for more than 90 per cent of the total from China’s energy sector, which is in turn responsible for half of the country’s methane emissions.
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Led by researchers from Westlake University in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the study analysed data from satellite and surface observations at seven sites across China – in the northeast, north, east, central and southwest.