Where is China’s agricultural methane emission reduction heading?
Higher Education Press
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Methane is one of the key greenhouse gases affecting global climate. Although its atmospheric lifetime is shorter than that of carbon dioxide, reducing methane emissions in the short term is more effective in slowing global warming. As one of the world’s largest methane emitters, China has continuously promoted methane emission reduction efforts in recent years, releasing its first dedicated action plan for methane control in 2023. The agricultural sector, as China’s second-largest source of methane emissions, contributes approximately 40% of the country’s total methane emissions, mainly from rice cultivation, enteric fermentation of ruminants, and livestock manure management. So, under the premise of ensuring food security for 1.4 billion people, what practical challenges does agricultural methane emission reduction face, and how can effective solutions be found?
A research team led by Professor Yumei Zhang from the College of Economics and Management, China Agricultural University, has conducted a comprehensive analysis on this issue. The relevant paper has been published in Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering (DOI: 10.15302/J-FASE-2025654).
Data shows that China’s agricultural methane emissions increased from 17.2 Mt in 1994 to 24.7 Mt in 2017. After 2017, emissions began to decline slightly, but rebounded moderately to 24.3 Mt in 2021 due to the recovery of pork production. Among these emissions, methane from enteric fermentation of ruminants accounts for the highest proportion, followed by rice cultivation and manure management. Notably, although the total emission volume remains high, the methane emission intensity per unit of output has shown a downward trend.
Since releasing its first climate change policy in 2007, China has gradually incorporated agricultural methane emission reduction into its policy framework. The Methane Emission Control Action Plan in 2023, the first policy specifically targeting methane, marks China’s transition to targeted management of non-CO2 greenhouse gases. These policies exhibit three distinct characteristics: first, the scope of coverage has become increasingly comprehensive, expanding from initial focus on rice and ruminants to include sectors such as fisheries; second, the governance entities have become diversified, with cross-departmental collaboration becoming the norm; third, the targets have become more ambitious, shifting from controlling emission growth in the early stage to proactive emission reduction. Following the implementation of these policies, the growth rate of agricultural methane emissions has slowed significantly, and even turned negative after 2017, though the overall emission reduction effect remains limited.
China’s agricultural methane emission reduction currently faces four core challenges. Firstly, there is a conflict between growing food demand and emission reduction—the recovery of pork production has led to emission rebounds, while rice, as a staple food, requires stable output, placing emission reduction in a dilemma. Secondly, the promotion of emission reduction technologies is difficult: the adoption rate of existing technologies such as low-emission rice varieties and precision feeding technologies among smallholder farmers is less than 35%, and emerging technologies like methane-suppressing feed additives are still in the experimental stage. Thirdly, the monitoring system is inadequate—scattered agricultural activities and complex emission sources make accurate monitoring and accounting difficult. Fourthly, economic incentives are insufficient: farmers incur additional costs when adopting emission reduction technologies, but there is currently a lack of stable subsidies or carbon trading mechanisms to sustain long-term emission reduction behaviors.
To address these challenges, the authors propose six specific recommendations:
- Improve the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system for methane emissions and establish a standardized framework;
- Refine the action plan for agricultural methane emission reduction and develop targeted schemes for major rice-producing regions and livestock-raising provinces;
- Strengthen technology research, development, and promotion—such as breeding high-yield, low-emission rice varieties and optimizing feed formulations—while reducing the cost of technology adoption for smallholder farmers through subsidies;
- Establish an emission reduction compensation mechanism, such as providing government subsidies to farmers adopting emission reduction technologies or exploring the integration of agricultural methane into the carbon trading market;
- Guide consumers to develop low-carbon dietary habits, such as reducing red meat consumption;
- Enhance international cooperation and exchange emission reduction experiences with other countries.
This study systematically sorts out the current status, policies, challenges, and pathways of agricultural methane emission reduction in China, providing important references for subsequent policy formulation and practice. Against the backdrop of global efforts to address climate change, agricultural methane emission reduction is not only a key component of China’s “dual carbon” goals but also crucial for global short-term temperature control.
Journal
Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Not applicable
Article Title
Agricultural methane emission reduction in China: policy evolution, practical challenges and policy recommendations
Article Publication Date
15-Apr-2026
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