Green Alliance: UK Must Pull the Methane ‘Emergency Brake’ to Avert Climate Crisis

A new report by Green Alliance urges the UK government to dramatically scale up efforts to cut methane emissions, calling this the most immediate and effective way to slow global warming and avert climate tipping points.

Describing methane reduction as the "emergency brake" on climate change, the report highlights that, while the UK has signed the Global Methane Pledge, committing to a 30% cut in methane emissions by 2030 (from 2020 levels), current policies will only achieve a 19.3% reduction. However, the report identifies a range of pragmatic and affordable measures that could push the UK beyond its target, achieving up to a 37% reduction within the decade.

The report acknowledges the tough economic climate, but stresses that many of the proposed interventions focused on agriculture, energy and waste sectors are low-cost or even profitable, offering co-benefits including enhanced energy security, better public health, stronger environmental resilience, and financial gains from an otherwise wasted resource.

Green Alliance therefore recommends the following three steps to unlock these benefits:

• “Collaboration between Defra and DESNZ to produce a quantified National Methane Action Plan, published by the COP30 climate summit, designed to meet the 30 per cent by 2030 Global Methane Pledge commitment.”
• “Adoption of sector specific UK reduction targets, in line with the pledge’s ambition.”
• “Establishment of a cross departmental task force to ensure government accountability on cutting methane emissions.”

At COP29, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, underscored the urgency of methane action, stating that “if CO₂ cuts are the marathon, methane is the sprint.”

With the United States stepping back from international climate leadership, the report argues that the UK must fill the void. Green Alliance is calling for a bold National Methane Action Plan, positioning the UK as a global leader in tackling one of the most potent short-term climate pollutants.

Download the full report here