Methane: how does it compare to CO2, how is it reported, and what does this mean for limiting global warming?

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This frequently asked questions (FAQ) document was wriften by John Lynch and Xiao Zhang (researchers at the Agile Initiative, University of Oxford), with feedback from Patrick Savage of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland (DAERA) and editorial input from Heather Stallard (Agile Initiative).
This document builds on work done for the Agile Sprint project “How can we manage uncertainties in habitat greenhouse gas emissions?” and was supported through the Agile Community Impact Acceleration Fund. It is intended to provide an explanation of how and why carbon dioxide and methane differ, and explore some of what this could imply for climate policy, particularly in relation to agriculture. Many of the questions explored here are of interest to farmers, land managers and others working in food and agriculture, but we hope the document will prove informative and useful for anyone interested in the topic.

Authors: Lynch, J; Zhang, X

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: Agile Initiative, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
• Pages: 1-11
• Place of publication: Oxford, UK
• Publication date: 2025-05-23
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-g7ovqgkbe
• Language: English