China Pushes for Science-Based Methane MRV System at 2025 Methane Conference

Controlling methane, the second-largest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is vital to achieving global climate goals. At the 2025 Methane Conference held in Beijing, Chinese officials emphasized the country’s progress in methane reduction and called for stronger scientific foundations for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems.

Source: China Environment News

Controlling methane, the second-largest greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is vital to achieving global climate goals. At the 2025 Methane Conference held in Beijing, Chinese officials emphasized the country’s progress in methane reduction and called for stronger scientific foundations for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems.

Liu Yang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, said China has made significant strides by combining stricter emission standards with market-based incentives. “We’ve revised the Emission Standard for Coalbed Methane (Coal Mine Gas), lowering the concentration threshold for prohibited discharges from 30% to 8%,” Liu said. “We also released new CCER methodologies for the use of low-concentration and ventilation air methane in coal mines, laying technical groundwork for further methane reduction.”

Despite global commitments, the outlook remains challenging. Over 150 countries have joined the Global Methane Pledge, yet data shows that their collective methane emissions have continued to rise. “The ambition is there,” said Xu Huaqing, Chief Scientist at the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, “but the reality shows how difficult meaningful reductions still are.”

Experts at the conference pointed to systemic weaknesses. Xia Zuyi, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, noted that current methane control efforts are hampered by unclear policy targets, insufficient data, and underdeveloped MRV frameworks. He also cited a lack of robust policy mechanisms, market instruments, and financial innovation as major barriers.

Looking ahead, Liu Yang emphasized China’s commitment to building a comprehensive methane MRV system. “We’ll continue to strengthen infrastructure and improve how methane is tracked and reported,” he said. “We’re also updating emission factors used in the national greenhouse gas inventory and inviting public input on new methodologies for voluntary emission reduction projects.”

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