BRIEFING: Methane Emissions – What the Expert Panel’s interim findings mean for Australia’s carbon market

On Friday, Australia’s Expert Panel on Atmospheric Measurement of Fugitive Methane Emissions published its interim report into approaches for improving fugitive methane emissions reporting. The Expert Panel was set up in 2025 following the Climate Change Authority’s 2023 NGER scheme review, which flagged concerns over the accuracy of fugitive methane reporting, recommending the government examine whether “top-down” atmospheric measurement could improve on current inventory-based estimation methods.

This topic was explored in our October 2024 research note, In Focus: Coal mine methane emissions reform – Implications for Australia’s carbon market, which identified material integrity concerns with existing coal mine methane