Mapping China's Agricultural Methane Reduction
Trends and Local Actions
English, Chinese
Nov 2025
Policy Brief
Beyond Carbon Climate-Food GAAP Subnational Climate Action
Summary:
This policy brief analyzes agricultural methane emissions in China, which account for 41% of national methane emissions (primarily from livestock and rice cultivation). It quantifies the substantial mitigation potential—up to 65 million tonnes CO₂e by 2060—through measures such as improved irrigation, adoption of low-emission rice varieties, and anaerobic digestion of livestock manure. The analysis combines national-level emission analysis, county-level spatial mapping identifying five provinces that account for one-third of total agricultural methane emissions, a systematic review of provincial methane control action plans (nine provinces as of October 2025), and case studies of on-the-ground practices in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Jiangxi. It also catalogs the multiple co-benefits of mitigation, including water savings, reduced fertilizer costs, and improved agricultural productivity.
Suggested citation:
ZHU Tongxin, CHEN Meian & MA Yue. 2025. Mapping China’s Agricultural Methane Reduction: Trends and Local Actions. Policy Brief. Institute for Global Decarbonization Progress
Related
-
China Carbon Neutrality Tracker 2025 Annual ReportThis report tracks and quantitatively assesses the green and low-carbon transition of 30 Chinese provincial-level regions over the decade from 2013 to 2022 using the Subnational Low-Carbon and Green Index for China (Subnational LOGIC), which encompasses 26 indicators across four categories: carbon productivity; carbon emissions (covering energy, power, industry, buildings, transport, and agriculture); environmental conditions and land use; and policy systems and public participation. The analysis employs multiple classification frameworks—economic-geographic regions, economic development stages (Pioneer, Leading, Catching-Up, and Developing Economies), national major regional strategies, and energy development positioning—to identify structural divergences in transition patterns. It finds that scores improved across all provinces, with carbon productivity, energy, and power showing nationwide progress while transport, buildings, and industry remain key frontiers for deep decarbonization. The report also presents in-depth case studies of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Shanxi, and Hainan to examine differentiated transition pathways across economic development stages.Report JUN 2026

-
Reducing Food Loss and WasteThis working paper quantitatively examines the scale and climate impact of food loss and waste (FLW) in China, estimating that 430 million tonnes of food were lost or wasted in 2024—roughly 28% of total production—generating approximately 500 million tonnes of CO₂e in carbon footprint and 185 million tonnes of CO₂e in methane emissions. It analyzes the uneven distribution of FLW across supply chain stages and food types, highlighting that while vegetables account for the largest share of losses, livestock products carry disproportionately high emissions intensity. The paper reviews China's evolving policy landscape, including the Anti-Food Waste Law and cold chain development initiatives, while identifying critical gaps in data infrastructure, sustainable cold chain coverage, and consumer behavior interventions. It explores the dual role of cold chain logistics—reducing post-harvest losses while contributing significant energy-related and refrigerant emissions—and assesses the potential of business innovations, public engagement, and food waste valorization to mitigate FLW. Ultimately, the paper advocates for integrating FLW reduction into climate governance frameworks, proposing four priority pathways: establishing systematic FLW data systems, advancing sustainable cold chain solutions, strengthening circular utilization of food waste, and promoting green consumption patterns to unlock a cost-effective, high-potential climate mitigation opportunity.Working Paper JUN 2026

-
Hainan’s Model for Promoting the Adoption of Battery-Swap Heavy-Duty TrucksHainan has built and put into operation 37 battery-swapping stations for heavy-duty trucks, providing basic coverage of the island’s main highways and key industrial parks, thereby effectively advancing the transition of new-energy heavy-duty trucks from pilot projects in typical application scenarios to full-scale electrification across the region.Op-ed MAY 2026

-
Medium and Long Term Outlook for Low Carbon Transition in Tianjin Using EPS ModelingThis report assesses the low-carbon transition pathway for Tianjin Municipality under China's carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, using the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) model to quantify energy consumption and greenhouse gas emission trajectories to 2060. The methodology employs a scenario-based quantitative modeling framework, constructing three scenarios—a 2020 Policy Freeze scenario, a Policy scenario, and a Dual Carbon scenario—to evaluate the emission reduction effects of different policy combinations. The EPS Tianjin 2024 model covers five core sectors: power, industry, transport, buildings, and land use and forestry, capturing inter-sectoral linkages and mitigation potentials. The analysis identifies critical areas and priority policies for achieving carbon neutrality, assesses investment requirements, and evaluates the economic and employment impacts of the transition.Report Summary APR 2026

-
Provincial “15th Five-Year Plan” Recommendations: Dual-Carbon KeywordsThis policy brief analyzes the green and low-carbon development content in provincial-level recommendations for China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). It systematically reviews 30 provincial documents to identify key "dual-carbon" (carbon peaking and carbon neutrality) priorities, including carbon peaking timelines, carbon emissions dual-control systems, new energy system construction, sectoral transitions (industry, transport, buildings, agriculture), and the deployment of zero-carbon parks, zero-carbon factories, and climate adaptation measures. The analysis is based on a systematic review and comparative analysis of provincial policy texts, categorizing and quantifying the frequency and content of policy keywords to identify regional patterns, alignment with national priorities, and local-level implementation focuses.Policy Brief FEB 2026

-
Research on Industrial Energy Efficiency Improvement in Shandong: Pathways and PoliciesThis report analyzes pathways for improving industrial energy efficiency in Shandong Province, focusing on six high-energy-consuming sectors: iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, petrochemicals, building materials, and thermal power. Drawing on field research, energy audits, and diagnostic data from over 500 industrial enterprises conducted by the Jinan Engineering Consulting Institute over five years, it identifies sector-specific bottlenecks and proposes a six-dimensional improvement framework encompassing capacity optimization, energy system optimization and waste heat recovery, production process energy efficiency, equipment upgrades, low-carbon fuel substitution, and digital management. The research draws on empirical field investigation, quantitative energy data analysis, and case study evaluation of three systemic energy-saving projects. It also provides policy recommendations for industrial decarbonization aligned with Shandong's economic transformation.Report DEC 2025
