Understanding and Reducing Methane Emissions in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, but more needs to be done to address the significant contribution of methane to climate change. The agriculture sector is the main source of methane emissions, and collaboration at the subregional level is needed to address abatement challenges. ASEAN could prioritize methane abatement by ensuring that existing working groups and networks focus on this issue and collecting missing data to refine problem definition and formulate effective solutions.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 39 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2022
Publisher: ISEAS

The agriculture sector is a major contributor to methane emissions, with a steadily increasing share over the past decade. Several Southeast Asian countries face similar challenges in mitigating methane emissions, including agricultural productivity in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and the Philippines; gas leakage in Malaysia and Brunei; and waste management in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. To address these challenges, closer collaboration at the subregional level is warranted. While countries have been participating in international initiatives and implementing national policies related to rice cultivation and oil and gas processing, their impacts have not been thoroughly evaluated. Instead of creating new institutional structures, ASEAN could prioritize methane abatement by ensuring that its existing working groups and networks focus on this issue. Missing data on the relative contribution to methane emissions from livestock, rice paddies, and informal economies should be collected to help refine the problem definition and formulate effective solutions.

ISBN-13: 9789815011524