India Flags Data Gaps as Global Coal Mine Methane Emissions Remain Flat Since 2021: Ember

Why It Matters

Unfilled methane inventories mask a major climate‑warming source and forfeit revenue from recoverable gas, undermining both emissions targets and energy‑transition financing.

Key Takeaways

• Global coal‑mine methane emissions stayed flat at ~35 Mt since 2021
• India reported 1.2 Mt for 2024, but IEA estimates 67% higher
• Only 23 of 73 coal‑producing nations submitted methane data in 2023
• 94% of emissions come from seven countries, dominated by generic factors
• Existing capture tech could cut half of global CMM emissions this decade

Pulse Analysis

Methane from coal mines remains one of the most under‑tracked greenhouse‑gas sources despite its potency—about 28 times the warming power of CO₂ over a 100‑year horizon. Ember’s latest review shows that global CMM emissions have plateaued at roughly 35 million tonnes since 2021, even as coal output rises. The stagnation is less a sign of successful abatement and more a symptom of fragmented reporting, with 89 % of emissions missing from official UNFCCC inventories. This data vacuum hampers policymakers’ ability to design targeted mitigation strategies and obscures the true climate cost of continued coal reliance.

India illustrates the reporting challenge. The country’s 2024 figure of 1.2 million tonnes aligns with independent estimates, yet the IEA’s projection sits 67 % higher, exposing a gap between national accounting and external assessments. Shifts from IPCC default factors to country‑specific calculations have produced artificial drops in methane intensity, while satellite monitoring—available over 73 % of hard‑coal sites—has yielded virtually no public plume detections. As India plans to expand both surface and underground mining, the lack of verifiable data could impede international climate financing and domestic regulatory oversight.

The upside lies in technology. Ventilation‑air methane (VAM) and drainage‑system capture are commercially viable and can transform waste gas into marketable fuel, potentially delivering up to 15 billion cubic metres of usable methane annually. Deploying these solutions could slash global CMM emissions by more than 50 % within the next decade, generating revenue streams for mining companies and reducing reliance on imported LNG. Policymakers therefore have a clear, low‑cost lever to meet near‑term climate goals while bolstering energy security, provided they close the data gaps and incentivize widespread adoption of proven capture systems.