Reducing methane is recognised as the most cost effective and fastest strategy to reduce climate pollution this decade and keep warming below the critical 1.5°C.
Australia’s methane pollution is a significant proportion of our total emissions and an equally significant opportunity for impactful climate action. Experts from the Superpower Institute say that Australia's coal and gas sector is a bigger methane polluter than the agriculture sector. This offers a significant opportunity, as methane reduction technology in the coal and gas sector is recognised as some of the cheapest and most practicable emissions reduction methods and alleviates pressure on harder to abate sectors like agriculture and heavy industry.
That's why we need the Australian government to commit to a methane target and methane action plan. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says OECD countries like Australia should cut coal, oil and gas methane 75% by 2030, and say reducing production is the best way to achieve this.
Prime Minister Albanese and Climate Minister Bowen are right now considering how to update Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC, essentially our emission reduction target) to the UNFCCC, due by Feb 2025. Minister Bowen has a critical role to play at the upcoming Climate Conference of Parties (COP). COPs catalyse methane policy, with dozens of countries now publicly committing to methane targets and methane action plans.
It’s been 2 years since Australia signed the Global Methane Pledge - now is the time to set a pathway to a methane target and methane action plan, starting with coal & gas. This emissions reduction pathway could become a key diplomatic opportunity for Australia to lead on emissions reductions ahead of COP31.
Forcing coal and gas companies with huge profit margins to reduce their super-potent methane pollution is the fastest and cheapest way to protect communities from intensifying climate disasters. Setting a methane target and action plan is the sensible but strong action that Minister Bowen and the Albanese Government can take to tackle climate pollution.