Most people understand that carbon dioxide is the number one culprit when it comes to climate change. However there is another harmful gas permeating our atmosphere and warming up our planet: methane. It’s the second most dangerous climate pollutant and it’s fuelling the unnatural disasters we’re experiencing now and into the next few decades.

This report outlines the impact of methane pollution and its contribution to global climate change.

Key findings 

1. Methane is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide – and it’s fuelling the unnatural disasters we’re experiencing.
2. Humans are turbocharging methane pollution – and it’s rising at a record rate.
3. Australia produces an outsized share of global methane pollution, due to our large fossil fuel mining and agriculture industries – and our coal and gas corporations may be significantly underreporting the methane they are releasing.
4. We need to urgently slash methane pollution alongside carbon dioxide to hold climate change in check – that starts with setting clear national targets backed by action.
5. The Australian Government needs to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable for accurately monitoring, reporting and slashing methane pollution – and take other practical steps to tackle this greenhouse gas.