U.S. Government Global Methane Initiative Accomplishments
The U.S. government provides key leadership for reducing barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a valuable energy source. The 2023 Accomplishments in Methane Mitigation, Recovery, and Use through U.S.-Supported International Efforts report summarizes the U.S. government’s methane emission reduction accomplishments throughout the world, and also features sector-specific activity highlights.
Report Highlights
Annual Methane Emission Reduction from U.S.-Supported Projects, 2004-2023
The United States continued to actively engage with Partner Countries and provide key leadership on international methane emission reduction efforts in 2023. Between 2004 and 2023, the U.S.-supported implementation of more than 1,250 GMI methane mitigation projects. These projects have cumulatively reduced methane emissions by a total of approximately 670 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2e), including more than 31 MMTCO2e in 2023.
| Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2004-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actual Emission Reductions | 31 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 44 | 46 | 321 |
| Year | Biogas | Coal Mines | Oil and Gas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-2015 | 46.9 | 188.6 | 85.1 |
| 2016 | 58.2 | 211.9 | 96.0 |
| 2017 | 69.6 | 234.1 | 106.6 |
| 2018 | 80.8 | 257.3 | 117.2 |
| 2019 | 91.1 | 282.9 | 127.4 |
| 2020 | 101.4 | 308.8 | 137.3 |
| 2021 | 111.4 | 334.1 | 147.2 |
| 2022 | 120.7 | 361.4 | 153.6 |
| 2023 | 129.9 | 383.4 | 153.6 |
GMI did not support methane emission projects in the oil & gas sector in 2023.
| Sector | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Biogas (9.2 MMTCO2e) | 29 |
| Coal Mines (22.3 MMTCO2e) | 71 |
Methane Mitigation Activities
Since 2004, U.S. Government funding from the Department of State and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has sponsored and advanced methane mitigation activities including technical assessments, information sharing, capacity building, and GMI partnership-related activities. Every $1 invested by the United States in GMI leverages approximately $6 in investments from other stakeholders, which are used to develop projects that reduce or recover methane emissions as an energy source directly and fund assessments that identify additional opportunities to achieve emission reductions. In 2023, U.S. Government funding supported country-specific activities related to methane mitigation in the United States and 18 other nations (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Montenegro, Pakistan, Philippines, Serbia, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam) and partnership-wide activities that served all GMI Partner Countries.
Through U.S. investment in GMI in 2023, more than 1,450 people from 42 countries received a total of approximately 4,350 hours of training about reducing methane emissions and capturing methane for productive uses.
Note: Methane emissions data come from the GMI database of project activities maintained by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Data represent the best available yet conservative estimates of emission reductions, including actual emission reductions from projects supported by the U.S. Government and potential emission reductions from other projects identified through U.S. Government efforts. Carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) are based on methane having a global warming potential 28 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.
Previous U.S. Government Reports
GMI Accomplishments
- 2022 Activities
- 2021 Activities
- 2020 Activities
- 2019 Activities
- 2018 Activities (2019 Annual Report)
- 2017 Activities (2018 Annual Report)
- 2016 Activities (2017 Annual Report)
- 2015 Activities (2016 Annual Report)
- 2014 Activities (2015 Annual Report)
- 2013 Activities (2014 Annual Report)
- 2012 Activities (2013 Annual Report)
- 2011 Activities (2012 Annual Report)
- 2010 Activities (2011 Annual Report)