The UK’s agricultural methane regulatory gap and legal risks

Background  

Agricultural methane emissions are a major driver of global warming, yet remain a key blind spot in UK climate policy. Despite the agriculture sector accounting for around half of UK methane emissions, there are currently no binding, sector-specific targets or comprehensive regulatory frameworks to reduce agricultural methane emissions at the pace required to align with a 1.5°C‑aligned pathway.

The scale of the problem 

Methane reduction can act as an “emergency brake” on climate change. Responsible for 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times, methane is 80 times more powerful in heating our planet than CO₂ over a 20-year period after it is emitted.

However, methane, particularly agricultural methane, is often overlooked. Methane emissions from agricultural activities in the UK have fallen by only 17% since 1990. That’s only a 0.5% reduction per year.

Despite positioning itself as a global leader in methane emissions reduction, the UK is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C. Independent analysis suggests that, even if fully implemented, current UK methane policies would deliver only a 22% reduction by 2030. By contrast, global assessments indicate methane emissions must fall by 40–45% by 2030 to remain within a 1.5°C pathway.

What’s covered in the briefing? 

This briefing covers:

• Why methane matters: explaining why a rapid reduction in methane emissions is so important for a 1.5°C pathway and the significance of agricultural methane in the UK.
• The UK’s regulatory framework on methane: drawing on independent analysis to show that existing and planned measures are unlikely to deliver reductions needed to align with the Paris Agreement.
• The UK’s legal risk: exploring how international climate obligations, human rights law, and emerging climate jurisprudence increase the UK Government’s exposure to legal scrutiny if methane emissions remain weakly regulated.

Suki Rees, Legal Manager, says:

‘Action on agricultural methane can make or break meeting Paris Agreement targets – it cannot be treated as a residual emission. The UK has the opportunity to be a climate leader by addressing this regulatory gap.’

Authors

• Lead author: Suki Rees
• Co-author: Sophie Walker

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