The latest study published in Nature Climate Change explores the significant methane mitigation potential achievable through the strategic closure of gas-rich coal mines in China. By constructing a detailed and dynamic coal mine database, they estimate that China’s coal methane emissions have been largely underestimated. The findings suggest that adopting a closure strategy prioritizing high-gas-content mines, as opposed to the current scale-based approach, could reduce cumulative methane emissions by 67 Tg (26%) by 2050, potentially reaching a reduction of 100 Tg (39%) with improved methane recovery practices. This targeted approach presents a promising strategy for aligning coal phase-out policies with enhanced methane emission mitigation.
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