Opportunity Knocks to Cut Methane. Can We Rise to the Occasion?

Methane is over 80 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, making reducing emissions crucial to slowing climate change. But satellite technologies pinpoint tens of thousands of methane sources—from oil and gas wells, to natural gas pipelines, to livestock feedlots, to landfills. How can we come up with the best policies to foster innovation and cut methane from such a variety of sources?

At last fall’s UN climate summit, more than 100 countries signed onto a global pledge to reduce worldwide methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Back home, EPA unveiled a set of proposed rules in November to reduce methane leaks from pipelines. Meanwhile, the bipartisan infrastructure law allocates billions of dollars toward cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells and modernizing natural gas pipelines.

At the local level, cities from Seattle to New York have recently banned gas use for heating and cooking in new buildings. Others point out that methane emissions from livestock (think: cattle burps) and agriculture have yet to be tackled by the administration.

We ask experts from a range of backgrounds: How can we capitalize on the heightened interest in methane to achieve the most reductions possible? What role should affected sectors play in fast-tracking methane cuts? And among a slew of technological and policy proposals for reducing methane, which are the most promising—and what solutions are missing?