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How much methane is India actually releasing, and who is responsible for it?
A satellite-informed database reveals India's methane emissions rose to 35.96 million tonnes in 2024. While livestock and rice fields still dominate, coal mines and gas fields are gaining share. Two independent counts now agree within half a percent.
Is India's methane going up or down?
India's methane emissions are on a rising path. The latest estimate from Climate TRACEClimate TRACEA global database that uses satellites, sensors, and modelling to estimate emissions from individual facilities and sectors. It is built by a coalition of research groups and nonprofits.This is the primary data source for India's methane estimates in the article., a satellite-informed database, puts the country's methane at 35.96 million tonnes in 2024, up from 31 million tonnes in 2015. Methane is a greenhouse gas that packs a punch: over 20 years, it traps about 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide. But it breaks down in the atmosphere within a decade, so cutting it buys time faster than cutting CO2. Because methane warms the planet fast but fades quickly, reducing it now can slow warming sooner than an equivalent cut in CO2. The upward slope steepened slightly after 2020. This is just methane, not all greenhouse gases.
India's methane is rising, not falling
Climate TRACE · India's all-sector methane emissions · 2015-2024
2024 · latest point
India's methane emissions climbed from 31 million tonnes in 2015 to 35.96 million tonnes in 2024, a steady rise.
This chart plots annual methane emissions from 2015 to 2024, based on Climate TRACE data. Methane (CH4) is a potent greenhouse gas that warms the atmosphere about 80 times more than CO2 over a 20-year period. The line rises almost every year, with a steeper climb after 2020. The total reached 35.96 million tonnes in 2024. This is not the full greenhouse gas picture — it includes only methane, not CO2 or N2O.
Where does India rank among the world's biggest methane emitters?
India sits at third place among the selected large emitters in Climate TRACE's 2023 data. China towers over everyone at 83.02 million tonnes, followed by the United States at 38.31 million tonnes. India's 35.27 million tonnes are uncomfortably close to the US level. Russia (21.06 million tonnes), Brazil (19.42 million), and Indonesia (14.93 million) are further behind. China's lead is enormous because it has far more coal mining and rice cultivation. The US emits more from oil and gas, while India's profile is still mostly agricultural. The ranking is not an exhaustive global list, but it shows that a handful of countries dominate methane emissions.
India is the world's third-biggest methane emitter
Climate TRACE · methane emissions, selected countries · 2023
In 2023, India emitted 35.27 million tonnes of methane, placing it third behind China (83.02 million tonnes) and the United States (38.31 million tonnes).
This horizontal bar chart compares methane emissions for selected large countries in 2023, sourced from Climate TRACE. China dominates with 83.02 million tonnes, well ahead of second-place United States at 38.31 million tonnes. India is close behind the US at 35.27 million tonnes. Russia (21.06 Mt), Brazil (19.42 Mt), and Indonesia (14.93 Mt) are lower. The ranking is not an exhaustive global list but highlights the heavyweights.
Who is responsible for most of India's methane?
Agriculture remains by far the largest source. In 2024, livestock and rice paddies together released 25.14 million tonnes of methane, accounting for 69.9% of India's total methane. Cows and buffaloes belch methane as they digest grass, a process called enteric fermentationEnteric fermentationThe digestive process in ruminant livestock (cows, buffaloes, goats) that produces methane as a by‑product, exhaled or belched.This is the single largest source of India's agricultural methane.. Flooded rice fields also produce methane when organic matter decomposes underwater. Enteric fermentation is a natural process that's hard to stop without changing diets or herd sizes. Similarly, flooded rice paddies create anaerobic conditions that microbes love, releasing methane bubbles. Waste (landfills and wastewater) contributes 4.94 million tonnes (13.7%), and fossil-fuel operations (coal mining, oil and gas) add 4.28 million tonnes (11.9%). Other sources make up the remaining 4.4%.
Livestock and rice still dominate, but their share is shrinking
Climate TRACE · India's methane by sector, latest year
Agriculture (livestock and rice) accounted for 69.9% of India's methane in 2024, down from 75% in 2015.
A stacked area or donut chart shows the sectoral composition for the latest year. Agriculture, primarily enteric fermentation in cattle and flooded rice paddies, is still by far the largest source at 25.14 million tonnes. Waste contributes 13.7% and fossil-fuel operations 11.9%. A small 'other' slice completes the picture. While agriculture dominates, its share has been slowly eroding.
Which sector is growing fastest?
The share of methane from fossil-fuel operations has risen the fastest. In 2015, coal mines and oil-and-gas fields contributed 8.3% of India's methane; by 2024, that share reached 11.9%. Agriculture's share slipped from 75% to 69.9%, even though its absolute emissions still grew from 23.26 million tonnes to 25.14 million tonnes. Waste also edged up slightly from 11.9% to 13.7%. Coal mining in India has expanded to meet power demand, and as mines get deeper, they release more trapped gas. Oil and gas operations, from aging pipelines to new gas fields, also leak methane during extraction and transport. The upshot: while cattle and rice still dominate the pie, the fastest growth is in point-source fossil methane, which is physically concentrated at mines and wells and therefore easier to capture.
Fossil-fuel methane's share has grown fastest
Climate TRACE · sector shares of India's methane · 2015-2024
Agriculture · 2024 · latest point
Fossil-fuel operations' share jumped from 8.3% in 2015 to 11.9% in 2024, while agriculture's share fell from 75% to 69.9%.
This line chart traces the annual percentage share of three sectors over a decade. Agriculture (solid line) drifts downward, waste (dashed) edges up slightly, but fossil-fuel operations (dotted) climb sharply. Fossil fuel methane, mostly from coal mines and oil-and-gas fields, grew from 2.56 million tonnes in 2015 to 4.28 million tonnes in 2024. That's a 67% rise in absolute terms, making it the fastest-growing category. Because such leaks are point sources, they are often easier to capture than diffuse agricultural emissions.
Can we name the biggest methane hotspots?
Yes, and they are almost all coal mines. Climate TRACE's asset-level data lists the top point sources in units of CO2 equivalent over 100 years (blended gases). The top two are not coal mines but giant onshore oil-and-gas producing regions: the Cambay basin (12.17 million tonnes CO2eCO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent)A way to bundle different greenhouse gases into one number by converting them to the amount of CO2 that would cause the same warming. Usually based on a 100-year time horizon (GWP100).Point-source rankings use CO2e 100yr, so they mix gases; we must explain that it's not just methane.) and the Assam region (9.09 million tonnes CO2e). After that, the list is dominated by opencast coal mines run by Coal India subsidiaries. Dipka coal mine in Chhattisgarh emits 3.58 million tonnes CO2e, followed by Nigahi, Dudhichua, Gevra, Kusmunda, and Lingaraj. These are all state-owned. Refineries were excluded because their emissions are mostly CO2 from combustion, not methane leaks.
India's named methane hotspots are almost all coal mines
Climate TRACE asset-level data · top 15 named waste and fossil-fuel point sources
The top two point sources are large onshore oil-and-gas regions, but the next eight are all opencast coal mines run by Coal India subsidiaries.
This ranked bar chart lists the 15 largest named point sources according to Climate TRACE asset-level data, expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalent (100-year GWP). The Cambay conventional onshore region tops at 12.17 million tonnes CO2e, followed by the Assam region at 9.09 million tonnes. From third place downwards, the list is dominated by coal mines: Dipka (3.58 Mt), Nigahi (2.86 Mt), Dudhichua (2.86 Mt), Gevra (2.62 Mt), and others. All are held by Coal India subsidiaries. Refineries were deliberately excluded because their emissions are mostly combustion CO2, not fugitive methane. The blended CO2e unit means the ranking reflects overall climate impact, not raw methane tonnage.
What about the landfills we hear about?
Landfills are often in the news, but individually they are much smaller sources than the coal mines. The top waste methane site is the landfill at Majura Taluka in Surat, at 5,81,252 tonnes CO2e. Ahmedabad's Pirana follows at 5,51,775 tonnes, and Delhi's Ghazipur at 4,86,405 tonnes. Others include Perugundi, Bhalaswa, and Dhapa. While these sites are significant locally, they are dwarfed by the fossil-fuel point sources. Landfill methane estimates carry high uncertainty because gas generation depends on organic waste composition, how sealed the site is, and local climate, unlike well-mapped coal mines.
The landfills you'd actually recognise
Climate TRACE asset-level data · top 10 named landfill and wastewater sites
Delhi's Ghazipur and Ahmedabad's Pirana are among the top waste methane sites, each emitting less than 600,000 tonnes CO2e — far smaller than major coal mines.
This chart isolates the top 10 landfill and wastewater methane sources. The Majura Taluka landfill in Surat leads at 581,252 tonnes CO2e. Pirana (Ahmedabad) follows at 551,775 tonnes, and Ghazipur (Delhi) at 486,405 tonnes. Other familiar names include Perugundi, Bhalaswa, and Dhapa. These sites are individually small compared to coal mines in the combined ranking, but they represent the locally visible face of India's waste methane. Landfill estimates are uncertain because methane generation varies with rainfall, temperature, and waste composition.
Do two different ways of counting India's methane agree?
They now do, and that convergence is the most reassuring finding in this data. Climate TRACE, built from satellite observations and bottom-up accounting, and Climate WatchClimate WatchA platform that hosts historical emissions data compiled by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT). It fills gaps between countries' official reports to create a complete time series.Used as the second independent estimate to compare against Climate TRACE., a modelled reconstruction that fills gaps between official reports, are two independent estimates. In 2015, Climate TRACE reported 31 million tonnes while Climate Watch reported 33.21 million tonnes, a gap of 6.7%. By 2023, the two were nearly identical: Climate TRACE 35.27 million tonnes versus Climate Watch 35.13 million tonnes, a difference of just 0.4%. Two different methods landing close makes both more credible. It shows both approaches are homing in on a consistent estimate, giving confidence that the numbers are roughly right.
Two different ways of counting India's methane now roughly agree
Climate TRACE (satellite-based) vs. Climate Watch (modelled reconstruction) · India, all sectors
Climate TRACE (satellite-based) · 2023 · latest point
Climate TRACE and Climate Watch, two independent estimates, started 6.7% apart in 2015 but converged to just 0.4% difference by 2023.
A dual-line chart with light shading between them shows the convergence. In 2015, Climate TRACE reported 31 million tonnes while Climate Watch gave 33.21 million tonnes (a gap of -6.7%). Over nine years, the two lines draw together. By 2023, Climate TRACE estimated 35.27 million tonnes and Climate Watch 35.13 million tonnes, a difference of only 0.14 million tonnes. This convergence between a satellite-informed bottom-up method and a modelled gap-fill reconstruction builds mutual credibility. It suggests that despite their different approaches, they are capturing a consistent picture of India's methane emissions.
What about agriculture methane specifically?
The two estimates broadly agree on agriculture, though the gap between them is wider and bumpier than in the other sectors. Climate TRACE consistently reports higher agriculture methane: in 2023, it was 25.1 million tonnes versus Climate Watch's 23.53 million tonnes, a difference of 6.7%. That offset has ranged from about 3.5% to 8.6% over the years, with no clear upward or downward trend. A persistent gap like this usually reflects a methodological difference, such as different emission factors for livestock or rice, rather than a growing error. Both agree on the rising trend.
Agriculture methane: the two estimates track closely
Climate TRACE vs. Climate Watch · India agriculture-sector methane
Climate TRACE (satellite-based) · 2023 · latest point
Climate TRACE consistently reports higher agriculture methane than Climate Watch, by a margin that fluctuates between about 3.5% and 8.6% with no clear trend.
This line chart compares agriculture-specific methane estimates. Climate TRACE's line runs about 0.8 to 1.9 million tonnes above Climate Watch's line each year. In 2023, the figures were 25.1 million tonnes versus 23.53 million tonnes, a gap of 6.7%. This percentage has fluctuated between roughly 3.5% and 8.6% over the recorded period, without a clear trend. A persistent but non-trending gap usually points to a systematic methodological difference — for example, different assumptions about how much methane each cow produces or how much is emitted per hectare of paddy — rather than a problem that is getting worse. Both agree on the upward trend.
Does fossil-fuel methane check out?
The agreement on fossil-fuel methane is the tightest of all. In 2015, Climate TRACE gave 2.56 million tonnes while Climate Watch gave 3.48 million tonnes, a discrepancy of 26.5%. By 2023, the two were essentially the same: Climate TRACE 3.72 million tonnes, Climate Watch 3.7 million tonnes, a gap of just 0.5%. This means the fastest-growing component of India's methane emissions is now verified by two independent methods. It's a strong signal that coal-mine and oil-gas methane are real and rising.
Fossil-fuel methane: the smallest gap of all
Climate TRACE (fossil-fuel operations) vs. Climate Watch (fugitive emissions) · India
Climate TRACE (satellite-based) · 2023 · latest point
Climate TRACE and Climate Watch now agree almost perfectly on fossil-fuel methane, with a gap of only 0.5% in 2023, down from 26.5% in 2015.
In 2015, the two estimates were far apart: Climate TRACE reported 2.56 million tonnes while Climate Watch gave 3.48 million tonnes. The 0.92 million tonne gap (Climate TRACE lower) amounted to a 26.5% difference. Over the following years, Climate TRACE's numbers rose more steeply, while Climate Watch's remained relatively flat. By 2023, they nearly met: Climate TRACE 3.72 million tonnes versus Climate Watch 3.7 million tonnes. This 0.02 million tonne gap (0.5%) is the smallest of any sector. The tight agreement on fugitive emissions from coal, oil, and gas gives strong confidence that the rise in fossil methane is real, not an artefact of one model.
How to read these numbers
Climate TRACE uses satellite-informed, bottom-up models to estimate emissions for each facility and sector. It is not a direct reading from a methane sensor; it is an informed calculation. Climate Watch's figure is a separate modelled reconstruction from CAIT and PIK, built to fill the years between countries' sparse official submissions. Both are estimates, not measurements. The asset-level data is reported in CO2e over 100 years, blending methane with other gases, so the hotspot ranking is a ranking of climate impact, not pure methane tonnage. India's own official Biennial Update Reports (BUR-3 for 2016, submitted 2021; BUR-4 for 2020, submitted December 2024) are snapshots years apart, not a time series, which is common for non-Annex I countries. Climate Watch lacks a separate waste sector series for India, so no second independent estimate exists to check Climate TRACE's landfill-and-wastewater figure. That is a genuine open question.