Methane: The underestimated climate gas and why we must act now
Methane is everywhere, yet invisible. It is found in natural gas, escapes from rice fields, landfills, and coal and oil extraction facilities, and is many times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide. While CO₂ often dominates the climate debate, a large part of the short-term climate future will be decided right here: in how we deal with methane.
A powerful gas with a short-lived impact
Chemically, methane is a simple molecule: one carbon atom surrounded by four hydrogen atoms (CH₄). Physically, however, its impact is enormous. Over a period of 20 years, a single methane molecule contributes about 84 times more to global warming than a CO₂ molecule. *1 According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), methane accounts for around 18% of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. *2
At the same time, it remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter period, about 9 to 12 years before it breaks down. In contrast, CO₂ has an effective lifetime of roughly 100 to 1,000 years.
This very combination makes methane a key lever in climate protection. While CO₂ reductions often take decades to show effects, consistent methane regulation can deliver rapid and measurable results.
Where methane comes from and why we cannot ignore it
Methane enters the atmosphere in many ways, both directly and indirectly influenced by human activity:
- Natural sources, such as geological deposits, volcanic activity, or releases from permafrost and ocean floors (methane hydrates).
- Biological sources, produced by microorganisms in oxygen-poor environments such as wetlands, rice paddies, wastewater treatment plants, or in the stomachs of ruminants.
- Anthropogenic sources, meaning human-caused and this is where the biggest leverage lies.
Around 60% to 70% of global methane emissions are caused by human activities. *3 According to the Global Methane Budget 2024, about 40% of anthropogenic emissions come from agriculture, especially from ruminant digestion and rice cultivation. Another roughly 20% comes from waste and landfills, where organic material decomposes without oxygen. About 30% of anthropogenic methane emissions are linked to fossil fuels, particularly in the oil and gas industry and coal mining, where methane escapes during extraction, processing, and transport, for example from coal seams or through fracking. *4
Even abandoned wells, many sealed over 100 years ago, act like ticking time bombs. Pipes corrode, cement crumbles, and methane continuously leaks, turning a potentially valuable resource into a major climate problem.
An energy source with two faces
Methane is indispensable in today’s energy system. It has a high energy density, is easy to transport, and burns more cleanly than coal or oil. Natural gas has become a key energy source in many countries and is relatively climate-friendly when used under controlled conditions. However, uncontrolled emissions, even small leaks, can completely negate the climate advantage of natural gas.
Methane – a lifeline for millions of households
Not only industry depends on methane, much of Europe’s population relies on it directly. In countries such as Austria, Germany, France, and Italy, tens of millions of households use natural gas every year for heating, hot water, and cooking. This dependence becomes especially visible in winter. When gas supplies are unstable, millions of households can be left without adequate heating for extended periods.
This makes one thing clear: methane is not just a climate gas, but an essential part of everyday life. At the same time, this dependence highlights how important it is to regulate methane, use it efficiently, and avoid emissions in order to balance climate protection, energy security, and affordability.
The key question is therefore not: use it or ban it?
But rather: how do we use methane intelligently and in a climate-compatible way?
Regulate, don’t waste: treating methane as a resource
International initiatives such as the Global Methane Pledge and the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) set clear targets: methane must no longer be allowed to enter the atmosphere uncontrolled. Technologies already exist today that can almost completely prevent methane losses from oil and gas operations. Modern leak detection, improved sealing, proper decommissioning of old wells, and intelligent recovery systems can avoid a large share of emissions, often at no additional cost, or even with financial savings.
From an economic perspective, around 50% of methane emissions from oil and gas could currently be reduced using existing measures, while in coal only about 15% can be mitigated this way. Reducing the remaining emissions would require additional investments. *5
Some facilities already demonstrate what is possible: about 5% of global oil and gas production operates near zero-emission standards, setting a strong example for climate action. *6 The combination of ambitious goals, proven technologies, and economically viable measures shows that methane can not only be measured and regulated, but actively reduced.
At the same time, a second perspective is emerging: not only to limit methane, but to reuse it as a material resource.
Hydrogen, but climate-friendly
Hydrogen is considered a key component of the energy transition. However, its climate footprint depends heavily on how it is produced. While most hydrogen today is still generated through steam reforming, with significant CO₂ emissions, alternative methods are gaining attention.
One particularly promising approach is methane pyrolysis. In this process, methane is split into hydrogen and solid carbon without the addition of oxygen. Unlike conventional reforming, no CO₂ is produced because the reaction takes place in the absence of oxygen. The carbon remains as a usable solid material.
Modern plasma-assisted processes enable this reaction at extremely high temperatures, above 5,000°C, with high energy efficiency.
Remarkably, if renewable electricity is used, this creates a hydrogen cycle with an almost climate-neutral balance, complemented by valuable carbon materials that can be reused in industry.
Why methane regulation is crucial now
Analyses from 2024 show that if methane emissions were consistently reduced or used more effectively, global warming could be limited to around 1.5°C by 2030, delaying critical tipping points in the climate system. *7 Few other climate measures have such immediate impact.
Methane is therefore not a marginal issue, but one of the most effective levers for the coming years, both ecologically and economically.
Looking ahead: from climate risk to opportunity
The future lies in integrated solutions. Emission prevention technologies, intelligent monitoring systems, and new chemical processes are increasingly working together. Methane will not disappear, but its role will change.
Instead of burdening the atmosphere uncontrollably, it can:
- serve as a transitional fuel,
- act as a storage medium for renewable energy,
- and enable new value creation as a feedstock for climate-friendly hydrogen.
The key is to act now. Because methane won’t wait and neither will the climate.
Source Table:
| Short Reference | Full Source | Linked Statement |
| Over a period of 20 years, a single methane molecule contributes about 84 times more to global warming than a CO₂ molecule. *1 | https://www.wri.org/insights/atmospheric-methane-removal | However, methane is a particularly potent GHG, trapping the sun’s heat 84 times more impactfully than CO2 over a 20-year period. |
| According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), methane accounts for around 18% of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. *2 | https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGIII_Chapter02.pdf | IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) – Emissions Trends and Drivers Page 229 – Chapter 2 Title: Emissions of greenhouse gases have continued to increase since 1990, at varying rates Figure: Global net anthropogenic GHG emissions 1990–2019 |
| Around 60% to 70% of global methane emissions are caused by human activities. *3 | https://www.iea.org/reports/methane-tracker-2021/methane-and-climate-change | This includes emissions from natural sources (around 40% of emissions) and those originating from human activity (the remaining 60%, known as anthropogenic emissions). |
| According to the Global Methane Budget 2024, about 40% of anthropogenic emissions come from agriculture, especially from ruminant digestion and rice cultivation. Another roughly 20% comes from waste and landfills, where organic material decomposes without oxygen. About 30% of anthropogenic methane emissions are linked to fossil fuels, particularly in the oil and gas industry and coal mining, where methane escapes during extraction, processing, and transport, for example from coal seams or through fracking. *4 | https://www.globalcarbonproject.org/methanebudget/24/files/MethaneBudget2024_MediaHighlights.pdf | Anthropogenic emissions account for about 60% of total methane emissions. Agriculture contributes around 40% of these emissions (mainly from enteric fermentation in livestock and rice cultivation), waste contributes around 20%, and fossil fuel extraction and use around 30%. |
| From an economic perspective, around 50% of methane emissions from oil and gas could currently be reduced using existing measures, while in coal only about 15% can be mitigated this way. Reducing the remaining emissions would require additional investments. *5 | https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2024/key-findings | Methane abatement in the fossil fuel industry is one of the most pragmatic and lowest cost options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The technologies and measures to prevent emissions are well known and have already been deployed successfully around the world. Around 40% of the 120 Mt of methane emissions from fossil fuels could be avoided at no net cost, based on average energy prices in 2023. This is because the required outlays for abatement measures are less than the market value of the additional methane gas captured and sold or used. The share is higher for oil and natural gas (50%) than for coal (15%). |
| about 5% of global oil and gas production operates near zero-emission standards, setting a strong example for climate action. *6 | https://www.iea.org/reports/global-methane-tracker-2025/key-findings | We estimate that around 5% of global oil and gas production currently meets a near-zero emissions standard (nearly 3 million barrels per day of oil and 130 billion cubic metres of natural gas). |
| Analyses from 2024 show that if methane emissions were consistently reduced or used more effectively, global warming could be limited to around 1.5°C by 2030, delaying critical tipping points in the climate system. *7 | https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-why-methane-levels-are-rising-with-no-hint-of-a-decline/ | Cutting methane by 30 % by 2030 is the ‘fastest way to reduce near-term warming’ and keep 1.5 °C ‘within reach’. |
