Monthly methane emissions in China from 2018-2024 based on source-level data.
Abstract
China is the world's largest source of methane (CH4) emissions and has signalled its intention to incorporate methane into its climate commitments. Designing effective methane-mitigation strategies requires robust estimates of up-to-date emissions, particularly when the pronounced spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of each emission source are considered. However, there is currently an absence of source-level, up-to-date and dynamic CH4 emission estimations in China, constraining the formulation of measurable targets. In this study, we present the Chinese Methane Emissions Database (CMED), a nationwide, source-level, monthly emission inventory covering the period 2018-2024. The CMED provides a comprehensive account of anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in China. Uncertainty analysis of the CMED indicates that CH₄ emission estimates fall within an acceptable range (±3.57%), underscoring the robustness of the dataset. This comprehensive dataset enables more accurate analyses by providing integrated, source-level and temporally explicit information, offering critical support for policy evaluation under China's new round of Nationally Determined Contributions climate commitments released in 2025.