UK releases a major methane report – CATF applauds progress and offers insights

Today, the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee released a critical report on tackling methane emissions, following their inquiry launched earlier this year.  This report is a crucial first step for the UK on methane emissions reduction, which is the best tool we have for bending the curve on climate in our lifetimes. Government must build on these recommendations to develop and implement policies that align with both our domestic goals and our international climate commitments.  

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) welcomes this report as an essential milestone in tackling methane emissions and stands ready to support the government as it transitions from planning to implementing concrete solutions.  

Rebecca Tremain, Director of UK Policy at Clean Air Task Force, said:  

“The Committee’s report is an impressive demonstration of leadership on this critical climate issue. Methane is the low-hanging fruit of climate action—addressing it now is one of the fastest ways to slow global warming. As the UK moves from planning to action, the focus must shift to concrete implementation, such as finally putting an end to flaring and venting and establishing clear regulations to drive methane reductions. This is a unique moment for the UK to not just talk about solutions but lead the way in delivering them.”  

Why methane matters:  

• Methane traps over 80 times more heat than CO₂ in its first 20 years, making it a significant driver of climate change.  

• Cutting methane emissions could prevent 0.3°C of warming by 2040, a crucial step in meeting global climate goals.  

• Methane contributes to ground-level ozone, worsening respiratory health and damaging crops—issues that directly affect UK communities.  

What the report gets right:  

CATF applauds the Committee for setting out key recommendations to tackle methane emissions, particularly by:  

• Calling for a National Methane Action Plan: This critical strategy lays the groundwork for coordinated, sector-specific actions.  

• Strengthening monitoring and reporting: Leveraging technologies like MethaneSAT and Carbon Mapper to improve transparency and accountability.  

• Targeting key sectors: Addressing methane emissions from energy, agriculture, and waste in a comprehensive and collaborative way.  

• Re-establishing global leadership: Enhancing global momentum and reinvigorating UK leadership to drive action around the world.  

Next steps for implementation:  

As the UK transitions from planning to action, CATF suggests focusing on these key areas to maximise the impact of its methane strategy:   

• In developing its national methane action plan, the government should outline clear objectives and policies across the energy, waste and agriculture sectors, and ensure cross-government oversight of its implementation.  

• The report recognises the urgent need for the UK to implement a measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) regulatory framework to meet the EU’s forthcoming obligations on imported fossil fuels. As this also applies to the EU’s intensity standard obligations, the UK could consider setting its own performance standard and methane fee.  

• Go further on leak detection and repair, mandating quarterly inspections to cut fugitive emissions by up to 80%.  

• Leverage UK shareholder positions in multilateral development banks to champion methane abatement projects and leverage its bilateral aid to target projects that have both development and methane benefits.  

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Press contact:  

Julia Kislitsyna, Communications Manager, Europe,  [email protected], +49 151 16220453   

About Clean Air Task Force 

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With more than 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. Visit cleanairtaskforce.org and follow @cleanaircatf