Overview of Methane in Philippines

The Philippines, one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, stands firm with its commitment to methane (CH4) reduction as evidenced by its existing climate policies, plans, and global commitments. Through the signing and ratification of the Paris Agreement, the Philippines has affirmed its dedication to limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C (1). In 2021, the country strengthened its commitment by joining the Global Methane Pledge, committing to take voluntary actions to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030 (2). Recognizing methane as a major short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP), the Philippines has finalized its National Action Plan to Reduce SLCPs Integrated with the Methane Mitigation Roadmap in 2025 (3). 

(1) UNFCCC, Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(2) Global Methane Pledge

(3) Clean Air Asia, “A national Milestone for Clean Air and Climate: Philippines finalizes SLCP National Plan and Methane Roadmap”

The 2020 Philippines' CH₄ emissions amount to 70,155 Gg of CO2e, representing 34% of the country's total GHG emissions. Methane emissions are distributed across five sectors: agriculture (54.78%), waste (40.83%), energy (4.28%), transport (0.06%), and IPPU (0.04%). Rice cultivation is the largest source of CH₄ emissions, contributing to 26,985 Gg of CO2e.

Methane Emissions in the Philippines

Here's a visual representation of estimated methane emissions in Philippines.

54.78% Agriculture
40.83% Waste
4.28% Energy
0.06% Transport
0.04% Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU)

Challenges and Solutions

The Philippines ranked first among the world’s most vulnerable countries in the 2024 and 2025 World Risk Index due to its high exposure to weather‑related extremes (4). Despite the country’s minimal contributions to global GHG emissions, it committed to a projected 75% reduction in emissions in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), of which only 2.71% is unconditional and 72.29% is conditional (5).

Implementing policies and measures in its NDC Implementation Plan will require approximately USD 72 billion across key sectors, underscoring the need for substantial support (6). Given that methane accounts for 34% of the Philippines’ total emissions, this highlights a significant mitigation potential. Through the AKCMM project, the Philippines will aim to build stronger institutional, technical, and financial foundations for methane reduction initiatives.

(4) Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft, The WorldRiskReport (2025)

(5) UNFCCC, Philippines NDC (2022)

(6) Implementation Plan for the Philippines Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 2020-2030

 

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