Legal regulation of methane emissions: The Global Methane Pledge in the national legislation of the major emitting countries

This article examines the measures that align with the 2015 Paris Agreement and the 2021 Global Methane Pledge (GMP) and restrict methane (СН₄) emissions in the world’s largest methane hotspots. The primary focus is on the legal regulation of methane contents in the national legislation of the top ten emitting countries, with the European Union (EU) considered as a single emitter. The EU policy was analyzed in the context of the EU’s participation in the GMP as a sovereign entity under international law. The results obtained reveal that the Paris Agreement, which serves as the main regulatory legal instrument aimed at limiting global temperature rise to 1.5–2 °C above pre-industrial levels, requires stronger legislative support to manage and reduce methane emissions in these countries. The most important document is the 2021 Global Methane Pledge adopted at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). The most effective strategy for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and strengthening global action on methane is the development and implementation of legally binding international and national regulatory frameworks in the major methane-emitting countries.

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