Government Response to ECC Methane Report Government Response to Lord’s Environment and Climate Change Committee In considering the costs of taking action on methane emissions, the Government should consider both the costs and benefits of action and the concomitant costs and benefits of inaction over the short, medium and long- term, including adaptation costs. (Paragraph 14) The net zero transition will not only be the economic opportunity of the century, but it will also support the creation of hundreds of thousands of good jobs across the UK, protect our economy from future price shocks that reliance on fossil fuels create, while delivering a range of social and health benefits. We are committed to delivering the benefits of the Net Zero transition, making it easier and affordable for people across the country to move towards sustainable lifestyles, while playing our part in driving global ambition on reducing emissions. The net zero transition is critical to sustainable UK growth because of the economic costs of unmitigated climate change, and because global demand for low-carbon products and services is growing rapidly. Economic resilience is also critical to sustainable UK growth. The Net Zero transition will improve economic resilience by reducing the UK’s dependence on imported and volatile fossil fuels. Investment in adapting to the effects of climate change is also essential to reduce the costs from climate change in the near-term, with investment needs for adaptation varying in relation to progress on net zero later in the century. The risks of delaying the transition • the cost of climate adaptation, as extreme weather events caused by climate change would far outweigh the costs of climate mitigation. The OBR Fiscal Risks Report 2024 estimates that under current global mitigation commitments, UK real GDP could be around 5% lower by 2074 from the physical damages of climate change, this reduces to around 3% lower in a global net zero pathway scenario. (Fiscal risks and sustainability – September 2024 - Office for Budget Responsibility) • long-term viability of UK exports which is fundamentally linked to domestic decarbonisation, with >90% of global GDP now covered by Net Zero targets • increased costs of a delayed transition Under the UK Climate Change Act, legally binding carbon budget targets require domestic reductions across all greenhouse gases collectively, including methane, to keep us on track to meet net zero. The assessment of the costs and benefits of climate action, including to reduce methane emissions, are already part of the analysis conducted when setting carbon

Government Response to ECC Methane Report budgets. The level of carbon budgets decides the pathway and speed of emission reductions based on the cost and benefits of doing so within these assessments. Such assessments factor in a variety of factors like the potential costs of delaying the net zero transition and the economic benefits from an earlier transition. When deciding on the necessary policy interventions needed to meet carbon budgets, the cost, benefits and efficacy of interventions are assessed. Reductions in different GHGs are weighted by their global warming potential (GWP) in accordance with international reporting protocols. Through this approach, reductions in methane are weighted by its warming influence relative to that of carbon dioxide over a 100- year period. Methane has a GWP of 28, meaning it is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. With this, emitting one tonne of methane into the atmosphere is equivalent to emitting 28 tonnes of carbon dioxide and this weighting of methane is reflected in the benefits of measures to reduce methane. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The UK Government should publish its own methane action plan to provide clarity on priority actions. This should include the costs of planned actions for different sectors and detail short- and long-term benefits, weighed against the costs of not taking action. The Government should focus on mitigation measures that will maximise impact relative to cost so that it can effectively prioritise its work. (Paragraph 52) We do not believe we need a methane action plan, as it is already covered in our existing delivery Plan for Carbon Budgets. We will publish an updated Plan that will outline the policies and proposals needed to meet Carbon Budgets 4-6 and the 2030 NDC on a pathway to net zero in due course. This will include key methane policies covering the period up to 2030 that will contribute towards the Global Methane Pledge. The costs and benefits of reducing methane emissions to meet carbon budgets are factored in our plans to meet net zero. We outlined the rapid action this Government is taking on delivering our NZ targets and manifesto commitments, including around methane, in our response to the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) 2024 progress report to Government, published

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The UK Government should use its expertise in monitoring and verification to encourage the establishment of an international body to verify Pledge participants’ methane action plans. (Paragraph 53) The UK is prioritising leveraging our expertise in measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV) to build capacity internationally. The UK’s National Physical Laboratory is co-leading international efforts with NASA and other partners through the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Greenhouse Gas Task Team to develop documentary standards for determining and reporting satellite-derived methane emissions. An internationally adopted set of best practices will allow all stakeholders to assess a product against a common checklist, helping to ensure the data used by governments and industries is reliable, transparent, and trusted, supporting higher quality reporting. The UK’s greenhouse gas measurement and verification team have also used their expertise and international experience to assist other countries, such as Australia and South Africa, in their implementation of similar programmes. UK scientists have made significant authorship contributions to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) best practice guidance for inventory compilation, using the UK verification programme work as a case study.
With increased emphasis under the Paris Agreement on countries monitoring and evaluating their own emissions estimates, the UK’s successful example of bringing together policy makers, inventory compilers and atmospheric scientists will provide further opportunities to lead the The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is well placed to monitor and assess delivery against the Global Methane Pledge given its secretariat role. They are already taking important steps to build transparency and progress; for example, they provide capacity building to signatories of the Pledge, including supporting 28 national methane roadmaps and 20 methane monitoring, measuring, reporting and verification (MMRV) enhancement projects so far. The UK has provided £5mn of funding to the CCAC’s Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme, which has improved MMRV in the fossil fuel sector as a targeted outcome. The CCAC is also developing a Global Methane Status Report this year, to be launched ahead of COP30. The report will provide a clear picture on progress to date on methane mitigation globally and the remaining gap to achieve the Global Methane Pledge. We also note the valuable role of the IEA’s Global Methane Tracker and their work with the Environmental Defence Fund and International Methane Emissions Observatory to develop a transparency framework for companies to report progress against their methane commitments in the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter. These various reports and tools will support better MMRV practices at company and country level, and ensure that we are tracking progress against the Global Methane Pledge and other commitments. We also note the Committee’s focus on the UK enhancing its climate diplomacy and international engagement on methane

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The UK was a visible leader on methane emissions at COP29. This includes through Ministerial representation at the highest-level events, including the US-China Non- CO2 Greenhouse Gas Summit and the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial. We have also participated in several methane-related events at official level, including the launch of the CCAC’s Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme at COP29; the signing of the Declaration on Reducing Methane Emissions from Organic Waste; the House of Lords session convened by the CCAC; and ongoing representation at the US/EU led international working group to develop an MMRV framework for greenhouse gas emissions associated with imported gas. At these meetings, we continue to highlight the importance of delivering the Global Methane Pledge and UK domestic action and funding to support these efforts. To formalise this leadership, we are looking forward to becoming co-chair to the CCAC’s Board alongside Brazil, where we will drive forward international action on super-pollutants and air quality. As part of this role, we will champion the Global Methane Pledge and ensure that action on key areas, like transparency and finance, is prioritised. It is important that we maintain momentum on this throughout the year and work closely with Brazil on our methane priorities ahead of COP30. We have also undertaken extensive bilateral diplomacy to encourage countries to commit to the Global Methane Pledge and to support them in delivering tangible emissions reductions. For example, the British Embassy in Ashgabat was the first in the diplomatic community to raise methane reduction with the Government of Turkmenistan at senior levels and have provided support to deliver action. This includes funding UNDP to develop Turkmenistan’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System, improving transparency on methane. We also led an energy dialogue in Azerbaijan where tackling methane emissions was a key issue, and participated in IEA-led workshops on tackling methane emissions across Central Asia, sharing our expertise on oil and gas decarbonisation in particular. We will continue to engage with key partners, take a visible leadership role, and seek opportunities to use our expertise and funding to support delivery of the Global

Government Response to ECC Methane Report Given the UK’s reputation as an international financial hub and its stakeholder role in multilateral development banks, the Government should identify options to expand the UK’s role in this area. In view of the urgent need to address methane in order to buy time to mitigate carbon dioxide, we suggest that the Government could redirect some of its priorities in funding. We agree that finance for methane mitigation measures, particularly in developing countries, is essential to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge and that measures to tackle methane emissions are often readily available and cost-effective. The UK supported the US-led Methane Finance Sprint in the run up to COP28 and committed £2mn to the International Energy Agency for their methane workstream. This included supporting robust analysis such as their Global Methane Tracker to improve transparency on emissions, as well as policy and regulatory capacity building in developing countries to reduce methane in their energy sectors. At COP29, we built on this funding by committing £5mn to the Climate and Clean Air Coalition’s Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme focused on supporting developing countries to design and implement effective regulations. We will continue to engage with multilateral development banks and other key stakeholders to identify and assess options for where the UK can meaningfully contribute funding to reduce global methane emissions. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should continue to fund and promote pioneering academic work in emissions measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification in the The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) regularly considers developments in measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification technology (MMRV) and their potential application through a dedicated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Improvement Programme, which builds on cutting-edge research emerging from a range of UK academic organisations. Since 2011, DESNZ has funded the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring and Verification Programme. The UK is one of only four countries in the world currently reporting the validation of greenhouse gas emissions based on measurements. The contribution of evidence from observations supports our assessment of the robustness of the UK’s National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).
The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement Advancement (GEMMA) programme, funded by UK Research and Innovation’s Natural Environment Research Council, will provide critical insights into sources and sinks of GHGs within the UK, including developing the capability to infer greenhouse gas emissions from regions and DESNZ is closely engaged with this work. Officials sit on the steering committee for the programme, led by the National Physical Laboratory and we are working together to consider how relevant research can support our DESNZ-funded GHG verification infrastructure. A recent academic conference for the programme presented the latest technological advances in this field to HMG officials. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should look to international comparisons, and consider developing similar enhanced measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) regulations. In so doing, it must take detailed account of any costs and benefits. A comprehensive MMRV framework that meets these standards may be required to avoid extra costs and/or process in exporting oil and gas to the EU as of 2027. (Paragraph 100) The UK is an active member country of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and provides significant contributions to its work considering MMRV among other reporting mechanisms. This includes the work of its Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFI). The UK additionally provides funding for UK based UNFCCC accredited experts to participate in the yearly review of other Parties’ greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory reports, to ensure that the principles of transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistent and comparability are adhered to. In May 2025 we look forward to welcoming the first -in country technical expert review under the Paris Agreement of our first Biennial Transparency Report. We are also part of the working group co-chaired by the US and EU to develop an international framework for measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the greenhouse gas emissions (including methane) associated with imported gas. We are also engaging with the EU to understand the requirements associated with their methane import standard, including the measuring and reporting required by UK fossil fuel exporters to the EU. The expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme scope to include methane emissions in the upstream oil and gas sector is being considered by the UK ETS Authority. If implemented, this would require setting out Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) requirements for the methane emissions in scope of the UK ETS. When designing these MRV requirements, we would consider best practice globally, such as the EU’s MMRV requirements, to ensure we take a robust and effective approach. A cost and benefit analysis would be undertaken as per the policy design of carbon pricing methane emissions and the MRV design. Government Response to ECC Methane Report As scientific debate in this area evolves, the Government should monitor it closely and consider how additional metrics can be robustly employed at the sectoral and the business level to improve understanding of the UK’s emissions. As a first step, the Government should move towards unilaterally implementing an auxiliary metric to better reflect the warming impact of methane. The UK should also play an active role in international discussions when the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change considers the need to review these common metrics, no later than 2028. All metrics have limitations and uncertainties, given that they simplify the climate system and its response to past and future GHG emissions. The choice of best metric for policy and sectoral applications depends on which climate impacts (relative to the impacts of carbon dioxide, (CO2)) are most relevant to the policy area and sector. The government agrees that additional metrics could usefully be employed at the sectoral and business levels, depending on the application and so methane emissions by mass (in kt) are also reported. We will continue to engage with the academic community on the developing science around metrics. For reporting progress against its national and international climate targets, the Government is required to report aggregate emissions of greenhouse gases using the metric GWP100. Using GWP100 is considered international best practice as it is the metric agreed by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for reporting GHG emissions internationally, including for emissions reporting under the Paris Agreement, to which the UK is a Party. We also use GWP100 for the purposes of the Climate Change Act and reporting against our legally binding Carbon Budgets, to ensure consistency with international reporting. The UK will take an active role in UNFCCC discussions on common metrics when the agenda item continues in June 2027 and will continue to be led by the best available science and international consensus in the choice of metric for reporting

Government Response to ECC Methane Report Farmers have claimed that Government communication about reducing methane emissions, and options for doing so, has not been sufficiently clear. The UK Government should consult with representative bodies, individual farmers and regulators to ensure clear and consistent expectations are set and accompanying guidance provided. The Government is committed to reducing emissions in the farming sector and a transition to more climate friendly practices goes hand in hand with food security and The Government provides a range of incentives and grants to farmers to decarbonise agricultural emissions through adopting sustainable land management approaches, new technology, and innovative practices to improve farm efficiency. Farmers and land managers can access information on our schemes, and the actions within them, in a variety of ways. Gov.UK holds all the scheme information, written in plain English and designed to be as accessible as possible. Defra regularly publishes blogposts, hosts webinars, and provides YouTube ‘how-to’ videos and podcasts, all of which are accessible via the Defra faming blog and the RPA’s blog. Defra and RPA teams attend many agricultural shows and events every year where we speak directly to farmers. We also issue newsletters to subscribers and via partner newsletters like FAS, RCF and LandApp, and meet regularly with key stakeholders in the farming and environment sector.
Furthermore, to accelerate the delivery of methane suppressing feed products (MSFPs), Defra has been working closely with dairy businesses, feed suppliers and farmers to develop a viable policy delivery pathway to increase preparedness and Alongside the upcoming food strategy and farming roadmap we will deliver a credible plan to decarbonise food and farming, working closely with stakeholders to design

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should consider what measures should be adopted in the context of broader international trade, economic and development Addressing carbon leakage and supporting British farmers in a competitive global market relies on international cooperation. The UK is working to mitigate this risk by advocating for ambitious global climate action, though progress on international solutions can be complex and take time. Any approach to methane mitigation must also balance emissions reductions with food security and economic Robust and reliable measuring, monitoring, reporting, and verification of emissions – both domestically and internationally – are essential for effective collaboration. Defra is strengthening emissions data through the Food Data Transparency Partnership, which aims to enhance data collection and reliability across the agri-food chain. This will help ensure that any future policy decisions, including potential trade-related measures, are informed by accurate and transparent data. Government Response to ECC Methane Report Low-cost, long-term solutions must be prioritised. The UK Government must lead an open and honest conversation with the sector and supermarkets about how these costs will be distributed to reduce emissions whilst not burdening farmers or consumers unfairly. It is vital that the transition to a low-carbon future, including equivalent reductions in methane and other greenhouse gases, is one for all parties, where costs and risks are shared appropriately across Government and industry, as well as considering the Alongside the upcoming food strategy and farming roadmap we will deliver a credible plan to decarbonise food and farming, working closely with stakeholders to design

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should continue monitoring the effectiveness of feed additives in real life case studies and ensure its own robust understanding of the costs before supporting wider rollout. The Government should look to international comparisons in selective breeding and animal health and consider how they could be replicated in the UK context, in collaboration with Defra has just started the Dairy Demonstrator project, a UK-wide research project lasting 3 years, which will test the impacts of novel and existing greenhouse gas mitigation measures. This project will include Methane Suppressing Feed Products in concert with other measures. It involves a multitude of stakeholders including farmers, industry representatives and scientists to co-create, evaluate and monitor practical greenhouse gas mitigating solutions on real dairy farms. The UK is an active member of the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the European Regional Focal Point on Animal Genetic Resources. These international policy fora actively discuss and monitor the use of animal genetic resources in selective breeding to support lower emissions in the Through initiatives such as the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases1 , UK Government learns from the experiences of other countries and collaborates on research. For example, international research to incorporate low environmental impact traits including enteric methane emission levels and feed efficiency into national sheep breeding schemes. UK Government research continues to explore strategies to reduce emissions in livestock through genetic gain, including through importing already improved Defra has used learning from international activities on animal health in developing the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, in particular the approaches that are being taken to increase vet and farmer engagement on animal health and a specific focus on endemic diseases in cattle, sheep and pigs, which are currently being funded through the ‘Get funding to improve animal health and welfare’ service. Healthier animals produce less methane primarily through improved digestion in ruminants. Defra has co-designed the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway with farmers, vets and scientists. This includes a programme of financial support that will help cattle, sheep and pig farmers improve health and welfare; carry out diagnostic testing to identify priority endemic diseases that can be controlled and ultimately

Government Response to ECC Methane Report eradicated; understand and improve far-level biosecurity to reduce the spread of these and other diseases; and receive high quality veterinary advice on the most important health and welfare issues affecting their farm. The animal health and welfare review and endemic disease follow-up ensure recommendations are tailored at farm-level while also starting a national programme of disease control and

Government Response to ECC Methane Report We ask that the Government confirms its support for the Dairy Demonstrator project, and to provide an update on progress as soon as possible. The Government should also confirm whether it intends to introduce similar trial projects for other agricultural subsectors involving ruminants. The Dairy Demonstrator project has now commenced following the signing of the The Dairy Demonstrator project is an exciting UK-wide project over the next 3 years, which will test the impacts of novel and existing greenhouse gas mitigation measures - in practice, and in combination, at farm scale. More than 50 commercial dairy farms will be involved across all four UK nations. The project involves a multitude of stakeholder including farmers, industry representatives and scientists to co-create, evaluate and monitor greenhouse gas mitigating solutions on real dairy farms. HMG will consider the potential for similar large-scale trials in other agricultural sub- sectors, following review of the success of the Dairy Demonstrator. Government Response to ECC Methane Report Anaerobic digestors are currently only used by a small percentage of farms. The Government should adopt measures to improve uptake. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) has an important role to play in meeting net-zero goals. With the right standards and controls in place, AD also presents opportunities for improved nutrient management, and a nutrient circular economy. However, it is important to note that improper management of AD and digestate can pose wider environmental risks.
Any measures to improve uptake need to manage trade-offs with potential negative environmental impacts, to prevent water and air pollution (from nitrate, phosphate, methane, ammonia, and odours). Government is reviewing the effectiveness of environmental requirements and plan to consult on proposals for regulatory reform of the Environmental Permitting Regulations, including permitting for the AD sector, by June 2025. Other issues which need to be considered with regard to developing AD, • Site - whether there is sufficient availability of land to apply digestate for crop need, and proximity to sensitive sites; • Greater crop availability of nutrients from digestate compared to manures can both help to target use as fertiliser, as well as allow greater mobility to watercourses as nutrient pollution; • Application windows need to be limited to crop need; • Digestates are not easily transportable over distances to areas of crop need • Storage under cover, or treatment, and precision application techniques are required to reduce ammonia emissions. These pollution reduction measures require high quality infrastructure and equipment, which can be costly. The UK Government's recently published Methane Emissions from Anaerobic Digestion (MEAD), report reviews fugitive methane emissions from AD facilities and recommends improvements in monitoring, technology and policies to reduce emissions. The Environment Agency also published a Methane Action Plan in 2024, outlining its approach to tackling the harmful effects of methane emissions from In relation to this recommendation, the report states that “methane from slurry represents approx. 15% of UK agricultural methane emissions”. This is inaccurate. emissions from the storage and management of liquid slurry represent 9.6% of agricultural methane emissions (NAEI, 2023). N.B. Evidence submitted to the House of Lords Methane enquiry suggested that “methane emissions from manure management may be underestimated” and that evidence may show that that emissions levels could be “four to five times greater

Government Response to ECC Methane Report than the calculations in the UK’s National Inventory assume”. The relevant paper Ward et al. (2024) used measurements from two farms located in the south-west of England, to draw these conclusions. The limited approach taken by this study • The two farms studied were not representative of typical UK slurry storage facilities. The systems analysed are specifically designed to promote methanogenesis for fuel capture. • The methane flux estimation methods used are unclear. Detailed measurements that would permit review and a physical explanation of their • If these estimates were correct, total UK methane emissions would be at a level inconsistent with independent atmospheric measurements (which align closely with Inventory estimates). Government Response to ECC Methane Report Methane mitigation could be delivered through land management practices such as low-input grassland and forestry, which also offer nature-friendly co- benefits. The Government should build on engagement with farmers pioneering these approaches and build an evidence base of what works. The Government should pay close attention to emerging research around the carbon cycle in agriculture and ensure that considerations of both biodiversity and climate impacts are taken into account in agricultural policy. The Government is committed to our net zero ambitions and boosting nature’s recovery, which are the foundations of a productive and profitable farming sector. Our Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) pay farmers to take up land management practices that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. ELM offers many options to farmers and land managers that support carbon abatement in agriculture, including low input grassland, fertiliser efficiency and forestry actions (including agroforestry). Sustainable Farming Incentive actions such as integrated pest management and precision farming also contribute to reducing emissions, with important co-benefits for biodiversity and climate adaptation. Since 2021, Defra has awarded over £139 million to Research and Development projects, funding cutting-edge trials on farms, and long-term research to protect agricultural productivity into the future. Net zero is a key element of many of these projects. The Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund will open for applications in spring 2025. It will empower farmers to lead the future of farming and the adoption of technologies on farms, boosting farm productivity, food security and nature’s recovery across England. Government Response to ECC Methane Report As the Government continues to develop and roll out Environmental Land Management schemes, it should consider whether and how the schemes could be used as an effective policy tool to incentivise methane mitigation. We note that under the Agriculture Act 2020, there is provision for public money to support land-based ‘public goods’ including environmental and climate The Government is committed to investing in farmers and land managers in England, to make their businesses, food production and the country more sustainable and We are accelerating the transition away from payment for land ownership, towards paying to deliver public goods for the environment through the Environmental Land management schemes (ELMs). We will also continue to use regulation to require minimum standards, which will be designed in partnership with farmers and give sufficient lead-in times for change. ELM provides farmers and land managers with the support they need to help restore nature, which is vital to safeguard our long-term food security, support productivity and build resilience to climate change. ELM offers a wide range of actions suitable for all farm types, to support greenhouse gas mitigation, including planting more trees, restoring peatland, improved slurry and fertiliser management and on-farm fuel and chemical input efficiencies. The farming budget in England is £5bn over two years. In 2025/6 this equates to £2.4bn, with £1.8bn for ELMs to boost Britain’s food security and accelerate the transition to a more resilient and sustainable farming sector.
This represents the largest budget ever directed at sustainable food production and nature’s recovery in

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should build on its work to improve the accuracy and reliability of agricultural emissions calculators for use on individual farms, in line with our recommendations regarding metrics in chapter 3 As set out in the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan, the Government remains committed to setting out how farmers will be supported to understand their emission sources through carbon audits and take further actions to decarbonise their businesses. In addition to this, Defra remains committed to increasing alignment across carbon calculator tools, building on recommendations from Defra commissioned research2. Through the Food Data Transparency Partnership (FDTP), Defra has been working to enable better and more transparent sharing of agricultural and food system data and examining systems of governance that would enable scalable food system measuring, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) of greenhouse gas emissions. The work aims to unlock financial and market incentives that rely on MMRV activity and enable innovation in the sector with the development of new tools, insights and practices (e.g. ‘smart agriculture’) that could further accelerate decarbonisation and sustainability goals. As a Party to the Paris Agreement, the UK has signed up to use the common emissions metric of the 100-year GWP from the IPCC’s 5th Assessment Report (AR5) for reporting on GHG emissions. We welcome the agreement of a common metric, which is important for consistency and better aggregation of GHG emissions globally. Introducing the use of the GWP* metric would not override the urgent need to reduce methane emissions across all sectors, to meet our climate change goals. The intention of the GWP* work from the Oxford Martin School is to better reflect the short lifetime of methane in the atmosphere when considering climate change impacts. This work shows that given a constant and sustained rate of annual emissions reduction, equivalent to an annual rate of 0.3%, the rate of breakdown of existing emissions balances with new emissions, resulting in no additional climate warming. The use of GWP* for footprinting an individual farm or product may not be appropriate as several years of emissions data are required to produce accurate results. Additionally, the inclusion of an extra impact metric for reporting may cause 2 Harmonisation of Carbon Accounting Tools for Agriculture - SCF0129

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government could consider whether there is a case for setting separate methane emissions targets for different sectors, and whether regulation could support this policy. The Government should provide an update on Defra’s commitment to assess the role of targets split between different greenhouse gases, and whether the Government intends to consider similar targets for other methane-emitting sectors beyond agriculture and land use. (Paragraph HMG is committed to reducing methane emissions alongside other targeted greenhouse gases under the world leading Climate Change Act 2008. Under the Act, carbon budgets are set on a 5-yearly basis, which provides flexibility to deliver emissions reductions across the economy, across all greenhouse gases and over a 5-year period. This helps minimise the impacts of single-year or sector shocks (e.g. a colder winter, poor growing season) on delivery. Separate targets for individual sectors and gases would reduce this flexibility and disrupt the effective emissions reductions legal framework of the Climate Change Act. Moreover, this cross-economy approach supports the Government's ability to pursue the most practical and cost-effective pathway to delivering net zero, This does not rule out the option for individual sectors to develop notional non-legally binding targets. For example, for agriculture, given that methane forms a much higher proportion of emissions than CO2e (27.9 MtCO2e compared to 6.5 MtCO2e respectively), Defra is considering whether a more targeted approach such as a methane target could be used as part of a package of delivery levers to further incentivise sector specific action. This would need to avoid duplication of existing work to reduce emissions and co- benefits (for example, through air quality targets) and take into account potential monitoring, reporting and verification dependencies. As part of this, potential lessons learnt from international examples such as California and New Zealand could be

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The UK made significant improvements on reducing methane from waste management before the signing of the Global Methane Pledge. However, renewed focus may be necessary if the UK is to reach the targets set by the Government in 2012 or secure the progress deemed necessary by the Climate Change Committee. If these targets are not to be met, the Government should provide its own assessment of whether the costs outweigh the benefits. It is not clear which targets are referenced in this recommendation, however, since signing the Global Methane Pledge, we have continued to progress policies aiming at reducing methane emissions from waste management. In November 2024, the UK was one of the 30 signatories of the Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste at COP 29 to further strengthen our commitment to the Global Methane Pledge. In England, the government’s Simpler Recycling reforms will require the collection of food waste for recycling from all workplaces (except micro-firms) by 31st March 2025, all households by 31st March 2026 and all micro-firms (with less than 10 staff) by 31st March 2027. This will divert food waste from the residual waste stream and landfill to recycling treatment. Government’s preference is for unavoidable food waste to be collected separately for treatment by anaerobic digestion which produces biogas and digestate which can be spread to land as a fertiliser. This is an optimised engineered system for production of biogas, which is then utilised in the production of heat and/or power.
Biogas production has been ‘identified as a environmentally sympathetic and economic method of fuel and ‘nutrient rich fertiliser’ generation and an important means of addressing the interconnected issues of sustainable waste management, renewable energy provision and ‘stabilisation of greenhouse gas It continues to be the case that, under section 45(3) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, waste collection authorities have a duty to collect garden waste where collection has been requested by the householder. Under Simpler Recycling, garden waste collected in the household recycling waste stream must be sent to composting, and never to incineration or landfill. In addition, we are developing policies with a view to working towards the near total elimination of biodegradable waste to landfill, focusing both on municipal and non-municipal waste. We are also undertaking world-leading research to quantify site-specific methane emissions from landfill and update our understanding of residual (non-recyclable) waste composition, which will help us in gathering the evidence to support policy development to address legacy emissions from already deposited waste. 3 L.I. Blake, F.A. Halim, C. Gray, R. Mair, D.A.C. Manning, P. Sallis, H. Hutchinson, N.D. Gray, Evaluating an anaerobic digestion (AD) feedstock derived from a novel non-source segregated municipal solid waste (MSW) product, Waste Management, Volume 59, 2017, Pages 149-159,

Government Response to ECC Methane Report As well as tackling methane emissions from waste, we are determined to minimise waste and the UK Government is committed to transitioning to a Circular Economy. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The 2026 target date to have all local authorities conduct weekly domestic food waste collections will be crucial. The Government should publish a clear delivery plan, including the steps that will be required of local authorities and taking into account logistical and financial obstacles they may face. The implementation dates and materials in scope for Simpler Recycling were confirmed in the government’s consultation response in October 2023. Following this, the relevant legislation that was introduced in the Environment Act 2021 was brought into force in May 2024. This means that the core legislative requirements of Simpler Recycling and implementation dates are now set in legislation. In May 2024, regulations were also made that set the descriptions of the recyclable waste streams for Simpler Recycling. In practice, this sets out what materials are in scope of Simpler Recycling collections, ready for when the policy comes into effect. For the avoidance of doubt, new section 45 of the Environmental Protection Act (as amended by the Environment Act 2021) will require all local authorities in England4 to arrange for the collection of food waste for recycling at least weekly by 31st March 2026. This must always be collected separately from residual waste and dry recyclable materials so that it can be recycled. In England, as of 2022/23 an estimated 180 (56% of all) waste collection authorities collected food waste for recycling (source: Waste and Resources Action Programme internal data). We are aware of concerns about delivery timelines, pressure on supply chains for vehicles and containers, and the need to upgrade waste and recycling infrastructure. We are engaging with key stakeholders across the sector and welcome input to help us understand the challenges and ensure successful delivery. We are working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to scope interventions to address bottlenecks in supply chains. We are also working with WRAP to provide guidance on best practice to help local authorities deliver food waste services to all householders. WRAP recently published procurement guidance for food waste, and communications guidance for local authorities rolling out food Local authorities are best placed to communicate the new collection requirements with their residents when rolling out food waste services. To support local authorities, we will provide transitional resource funding for food waste communications. We will continue to work with local authorities to support readiness for these new 4 Except for 31 waste collection authorities (WCAs) with complex existing residual waste contracts that present a barrier to food waste collections. These WCAs have bespoke transitional arrangements, delaying the implementation date for food waste The Environment Act 2021 (Commencement No. 9 and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2024

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should provide its assessment of whether the number of anaerobic digestion facilities is on track to keep pace with the mandatory food waste collection target date and put this information into the public domain. In February 2025 Wrap, having worked with the government, published its ‘Recycling Infrastructure Capacity Analysis’. This set out anticipated waste volumes to 2035, mapping this modelling against known waste management infrastructure for various waste streams, including food waste. The analysis signals where there is likely over or under-provision of end processing capacity for those materials. Furthermore, the Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS), open to applications from 2021 to 2028, will support the construction of new anaerobic digestion facilities. The GGSS will do this by providing a tariff supporting the price of biomethane injected into the gas grid at anaerobic digestion sites. The scheme follows on from the non- domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and will pay tariffs to registered producers of biomethane for a period of 15 years. This will produce enough green gas to heat around 250,000 homes annually. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should review regulatory oversight of anaerobic digestors and give serious consideration to the requirement for regular leak assessments for all sites. (Paragraph 201) Government is reviewing the effectiveness of environmental requirements and plan to consult on proposals for regulatory reform of the Environmental Permitting Regulations, including permitting for the Anaerobic Digestion sector, by June 2025. Permitted AD plant are currently required to perform regular LDAR surveys.
More detail is outlined in the Environment Agency’s Methane Action Plan (source: plan/environment-agency-methane-action-plan-2024-to-2026) The Environment Agency’s Methane Action Plan will help reduce methane emissions in England by improving the data of sectors regulated to support better decisions and targeted action; maximise the effectiveness of regulation to enable and encourage operators to reduce methane emissions; and work with external partners to share knowledge and improve collective understanding of how to reduce methane. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should consider how to ensure that the end of these Renewable Obligation incentives is not coupled with a rise in emissions. With the end date of this scheme having been set since its inception, there should be every reason to provide clarity and certainty to industry about what may follow. The Government should urgently assess the impact of the scheme ending, both with regard to the possible loss of energy provided to the grid and to the potential rise in emissions from the waste sector. As part of this, the Government should assess the cost of continuing current incentives or instituting a replacement. (Paragraph 203) The Government does not currently intend to extend the Renewables Obligation (RO) scheme. It was designed to support renewable electricity generating stations during the earlier stages of development and generation, and to allow the high capital costs to be recovered. Support under the RO lasts for up to 20 or 25 years, depending on when the station was accredited, with the scheme finally closing in 2037. The limits on the length of support were imposed to balance the need to provide investors with long-term certainty, but to keep costs to consumers to a minimum, as consumers pay for the scheme through their electricity bills. We do not consider that extending the length of support would deliver value for money to consumers. That is because the scheme no longer provides the correct market incentives. Nor does it align with Government’s current objectives, given the energy landscape has significantly evolved since the scheme was launched in 2002. The Government is currently assessing the impact of the end of the RO on a variety of technologies, including landfill gas, and the impact that will have on electricity generation. We are also aware of the significant role of landfill gas generators in methane capture and that there are risks that emissions could increase as a result of the ending of the RO. We are actively working alongside Defra to assess the emissions impact and to explore what options, if any, are needed. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should provide an update on progress in the prevention and reduction of residential, commercial, and institutional organic waste generation. This could include further upstream interventions to tackle food waste and packaging waste, if the cost is proportionate. (Paragraph 205) Defra’s priority is to prevent food waste occurring supporting Courtauld 2030 with the target to halve food waste by 2030 in line with SDG 12.3. For unavoidable food waste, Defra’s Simpler Recycling Collections reforms will require the collection of food waste from all households and workplaces in England. Amended section 45A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires food waste collected for recycling to be sent to composting or recycling treatment and never to landfill or incineration. This will reduce methane emissions. Together, the Collection and Packaging Reforms (CPR) are expected to deliver ~75% of the waste sector’s projected quantified net zero emissions savings in Carbon Budgets 4, 5 and 6 (around 26MtCo2e), mainly driven by Simpler Recycling (source: Defra internal net zero modelling)

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should provide an update on this work to improve estimation of methane emissions from landfill, including target dates for when the projects are expected to achieve their aims to develop direct measurement of landfill emissions at site level. (Paragraph 207) Our active research projects measuring site-level methane emissions are due to end in 2026. These projects aim to validate current modelling approaches and test a range of technologies for measuring emissions at fine spatio-temporal scales. Due to the inherent uncertainty of this innovative research, we cannot provide precise estimates of when - or if - site-specific landfill methane emissions data will be available for the entire UK landfill population. However, the next phase of R&D is expected to be completed by 2030 and given the ongoing nature of landfill emissions, measurement and management efforts in this area will likely continue

Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should take action to reduce waste crime by reviewing regulation to ensure it is fit for the 21st century, particularly regarding the licensing of waste carriers. The Government should explore how it can enable greater collaboration between the Joint Unit for Waste Crime and HMRC. The Government is considering proposals to bring the existing light-touch CBD regime under the Environmental Permitting Regulations. This reform will mean those transporting or making decisions about waste will have to demonstrate they are competent to make those decisions. There will be increased background checks for firms moving or trading waste, ensuring waste is managed by authorised persons only and in a safe manner. Changes will make it harder for rogue operators to find work in the sector and easier for regulators to take action against criminals. It will also be a permit condition that permit numbers are displayed on advertising. We are also considering proposals to reform the waste exemptions regime. This reform will reduce opportunities for criminals to hide illegal activity behind permit exemptions. The reforms will remove those exemptions of most concern, tighten the controls around others and introduce record keeping requirements. The Environment Agency hosts the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC), a multi- agency taskforce, which shares intelligence and operational capacity to tackle serious and organised criminality in the waste sector. HMRC is a member of JUWC and is fully engaged with its work, in particular where it relates to the evasion of Landfill Tax.
This includes a full time, embedded HMRC Intelligence Officer in the Unit who plays a key role in relation to matters relating to tax evasion and money laundering in the waste sector. Since 2020, the JUWC has worked with over 130 partner organisations, and led or attended 324 multi-agency days of action resulting in 177 associated arrests. The resulting prosecution rate is in line with the wider

Government Response to ECC Methane Report Transparency and accountability on progress towards the 2030 target date to end routine venting and flaring must be enhanced. A roadmap should be published by industry to enable Government and the public to monitor industry’s progress. This should detail the obstacles to tackling routine flaring and venting at the level of individual oil and gas platforms. (Paragraph 277) The UK has committed to end routine flaring and venting by 2030. In addition, in the industry’s Methane Action Plan, UK industry have committed to accelerate compliance with the World Bank's ‘Zero Routine Flaring by 2030’ initiative where possible, set a 50% methane reduction target by 2030 (against a 2018 baseline) and adopted the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative’s methane intensity target of 0.2% by 2025. With support from the Government and regulators, industry is on track to meet The NSTA is already taking action. In March 2024 the NSTA published its new emissions reduction plan (the OGA Plan), which reiterated requirements on industry to reduce flaring and venting. As part of the plan the NSTA published on its website a list of all assets with reported routine (category A) flaring at the end of 2024. As part of the emissions reduction plan requirements on flaring and venting all oil and gas licensees need to produce Emission Reduction Action Plans by June 2025 setting out how they will deliver “continuous improvements in flaring and venting leading to GHG emissions reductions at the UKCS-level.” The NSTA reports annually on progress on emissions reduction in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS); this includes a public benchmarking dashboard showing flaring and venting emissions by named oil and gas assets. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government should consult with industry and regulators on existing LDAR practices and consider how they can be improved. (Paragraph 278) DESNZ’s Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) will engage further with our partner regulators HSE and NSTA along with OEUK to identify current best practices for identifying fugitive emissions from equipment on oil and gas installations and possible areas for improvement. OPRED will collate this information and share the findings and any recommendations with industry to encourage them to add these improvements to their methane action plans for emission reduction and work with partner regulators to check progress against The Environment Agency's Methane Action Plan (2024-2026) emphasises the importance of collaborating with industry stakeholders and regulators to enhance LDAR strategies, specifically for anaerobic digestion plants. Government Response to ECC Methane Report Regarding the accuracy of methane emissions data from the oil and gas sector, the Government should consider the costs and benefits of bringing UK measurement, monitoring, reporting and verification (MMRV) in line with EU standards as a matter of urgency. Whilst progress on UK MMRV is ongoing, Government should aim to clarify where discrepancies arise in reports of UK methane emissions and should take steps to resolve these discrepancies. The expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme scope to include methane emissions in the upstream oil and gas sector is being considered by the UK ETS Authority. If implemented, this would require setting out Monitoring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) requirements for the methane emissions in scope of the UK ETS. When designing these MRV requirements, we would consider best practice globally, such as the EU’s MMRV requirements, to ensure we take a robust and effective approach. A cost and benefit analysis would be undertaken as per the policy design of carbon pricing methane emissions and the MRV design. We are also part of the working group co-chaired by the US and EU to develop an international framework for measuring, monitoring, reporting and verifying the greenhouse gas emissions (including methane) associated with imported gas. We are also engaging with the EU to understand the requirements associated with their methane import standard, including the measuring and reporting required by UK fossil fuel exporters to the EU. Discrepancies suggested by a recently published paper (Riddick S N, Mauzerall D L, ‘Likely substantial underestimation of reported methane emissions from United Kingdom upstream oil and gas activities’ Energy and Environment Science 2023: Volume 16, pages 295-204 ) have been assessed by the UK’s Inventory experts in the Department and in the Inventory Agency and found to contain significant errors. The description of the inventory methodology in the paper is entirely incorrect; the analysis and assumptions which do n ot reflect the specific UK context. Data sources and methods are transparently reported (most recently in 2023) for all methodologies in the United Kingdom 2023 National Inventory Report (NIR). Government Response to ECC Methane Report The NSTA should consider making greater use of its existing powers. This includes being prepared to issue larger fines. (Paragraph 283) The NSTA already uses enforcement action as part of its regulatory toolkit and has issued a total of £825,000 worth of fines for flaring and venting breaches. In December 2024 the NSTA wrote to industry stating all future fines for flaring and venting breaches would have a starting point of £500,000. Government Response to ECC Methane Report Given the significance of methane as a greenhouse gas, including methane in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme is a sensible step. The Government should consider methane separately from other climate pollutants such as carbon dioxide if it is included in the UK ETS, in a similar way to the methane fee in the United States. The Government should clarify its position on this. The UK ETS Authority recognises the importance of reducing methane emissions due to the global warming impact compared to carbon dioxide.
Therefore, the UK ETS Authority is considering the expansion of the UK ETS to cover methane emissions from the upstream oil and gas sector. This would require designing Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) requirements specific to methane to comply with UK ETS regulations. This would act as a further incentive to reduce methane emissions from upstream oil and gas production by levying a carbon price The UK ETS Authority shared in their Government Response to the Developing the UK ETS consultation in July 2023 that this policy is under consideration. In addition, the UK ETS Authority implemented the inclusion of process emissions from CO2 venting in the UK ETS from 1 April 2025, which will ensure that CO2 removed from extracted oil and gas is subject to the same UK ETS carbon price whether it is vented or flared. The UK ETS Authority is continuing to explore the best options for how methane could be included in the scheme and will set out more detail in due

Government Response to ECC Methane Report There is a particular regulatory gap in the Environment Agency’s remit. The Government could consider placing an obligation on the Environment Agency to consider methane mitigation to address this. We note that the Environment Agency’s remit covers only England. (Paragraph 297) The Government has announced plans to conduct an internal review of regulation and regulators at Defra. This review will assess whether the inherited regulatory landscape is fit for purpose and develop recommendations to ensure that regulation across the Department drives economic growth while protecting the environment. The Environment Agency plays a crucial role in addressing emissions of various pollutants including methane from the sectors it regulates, such as waste, energy and part of the agriculture sector. The Environment Agency published its Methane Action Plan in 2024, outlining its strategy to reduce methane emissions in England. The plan aims to increase their effectiveness as a regulator, enhance methane measurement and monitoring while providing technical assistance to policymakers to improve regulatory frameworks. In addition to the Environment Agency's responsibilities in England, each of the devolved Government administrations has its own regulatory body responsible for environmental protection from industry. In Wales, this role is fulfilled by Natural Resources Wales, in Scotland, it is managed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and in Northern Ireland, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs oversees these responsibilities. Government Response to ECC Methane Report The Government could consider how a systems approach can be undertaken in the oversight of methane emissions in the UK. This would involve steps to better integrate the work of Government departments and regulators and avoid gaps or areas of overlap. (Paragraph 299) UK Government is committed to taking a ‘systems approach’ to the net zero challenge to ensure we understand and can navigate the complex ways in which our climate goals will interact with other priorities for the country. Taking a systems approach means considering policy areas and impacts from different economic sectors, such as methane emissions, as parts of an interconnected system, where changes to one area directly or indirectly impact others. We have implemented several key elements of a systems approach, • Establishing forums for delivering shared net zero goals, understanding different viewpoints in this area, and identifying key issues through cross- • Working towards a shared understanding of interdependencies and risks across different parts of the net zero challenge; • Testing and determining feasible net zero scenarios with our whole energy and agricultural systems modelling suite, and supporting our work to identify high leverage, systemic actions that will be necessary in a wide range of scenarios. This is not a new approach – we are building on the strong track-record we already have of understanding the interrelations and interdependencies demonstrated by our energy systems modelling. However, work will continue to develop this approach