1/n We started by creating a policy inventory with 650+ policies, then reduced the number to 281 relevant policies adopted since the 1970s, incl. 255 policies that are currently in force and were the key focus of our analysis.

2/n Defining methane policies is challenging, bc methane is regulated for different reasons: climate change, air quality, safety, energy resource management, and energy security, e.g. coalbed methane capture and use.

3/n We defined methane policies as actions by governments explicitly aiming to monitor, prevent, or reduce CH4 from man-made sources. We included policies that do not explicitly regulate methane emissions but have a material impact on methane emission reduction e.g., landfill reg

4/n ...but excluded policies with no immediate and material effect e.g. land use change policies and policies adopted by the companies, incl. NOCs.

5/n We found that only around 13% (min. 10% - max. 17%) of methane emissions across key sources – agriculture, waste and energy – is covered by direct mitigation policies, with significant differences across regions and across biogenic and fossil sources of emissions.

6/n The effectiveness of these policies is far from clear because CH4 is largely calculated using unrepresentative estimates. We found examples of papers with different conclusions as to the effectiveness of the same policies depending on the use of GHG inventories vs satellites

7/n Policymakers regulate emissions from biogenic and fossil sources differently and the latter tend to be less stringent. But there are interesting nuances: the policies targeting solid waste and O&G tend to be more stringent than policies targeting coal and ag sectors.

8/n When assessing the stringency, we looked at the content of policies & supporting documents and assessed it against 6 criteria: policy objectives, scope, integration with other policy instruments, costs, implementation, and monitoring.

9/n These differences in the stringency are likely due to: the fossil fuel and agricultural industry opposition to new policies raising the cost of production for industries facing int'l competition, the relative importance of those industries to national economies...

10/n ...energy and food security/rural poverty considerations or insufficient attention to addressing barriers to policy implementation.

11/n In almost every sector, there are major emission sources, which remain underregulated, e.g. enteric fermentation (ag), ventilation air methane (coal) or the super-emitters (O&G), the emissions from abandoned mines and oil and gas wells.