Methane emissions mass
Measurement answer
What this metric measures
Methane emissions mass is the raw mass of methane released within the declared inventory boundary and reporting period, measured in metric tonnes of CH₄. It is not carbon dioxide equivalent and cannot be combined with other gases without an explicit conversion.
Specification
Metric specification
- Result format
- Single value
- Unit
- Metric tonnes of methane (t CH₄)
- Reporting basis
- Reporting period
- Aggregation
- Sum of raw methane mass within the declared boundary
- Pillar
- Environmental
- Topic
- Climate and greenhouse gas emissions
- Controlled domain
- Climate and greenhouse gases
- Entity type
- Metric
Reporting boundary
Raw methane emissions within the declared organizational, operational, source and reporting-period boundary, before conversion to carbon dioxide equivalent and with fossil, biogenic or other source classifications stated where relevant.
Verified source occurrences
Framework coverage
This is one canonical metric. The bindings below show every verified framework occurrence without creating duplicate metric pages. Edition, disclosure, role, and relationship remain source-specific.
- Measurement AuthoritySource evidence
GHG Protocol
- Publisher
- GHG Protocol
- Edition
- Required gases amendment, February 2013
- Requirement
- Not Specified
- Relationship
- Defines Measurement
- Mapping outcome
- Direct Evidence
- Source locator
- Pages 1 to 4
- Adopting Disclosuree15-methane
UN Global Compact Communication on Progress
- Publisher
- United Nations Global Compact
- Edition
- 2026 Communication on Progress Questionnaire and Guidebook, effective 2026
- Requirement
- Conditional
- Relationship
- Reuses Canonical Metric
- Mapping outcome
- Reused
- Source locator
- 2026 CoP Questionnaire PDF page 47, E15, Methane (CH4) emissions
Value structure
Dimensions and units
- Unit
- Metric tonnes of methane (t CH₄)
- Reporting basis
- Reporting period
Unit meaning: One metric tonne of methane equals 1,000 kilograms of methane measured as raw gas mass, not carbon dioxide equivalent.
Published dimensions
- Mass of methane
- Emissions source
- Emissions scope
- Methane origin
Calculation method
Formula information
- Status
- Specified
- Formula type
- Sum
Formula
T = ΣqᵢSum only non-overlapping qualifying observations that use compatible units, boundaries, periods, classifications, and method editions.
Variables
| Symbol | Variable | Definition | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
qᵢ | qualifying observation | Each compatible observation within the qualifying population and boundary defined for Methane emissions mass. | t CH₄ |
Verified sources
Evidence and status sources
Sustopedia checked each record-specific claim directly against primary publisher material. Labels distinguish current measurement authority from future compatibility and corroborative, legal, edition, or method status context. Corroborative evidence can support a stated limitation but cannot establish the core measurement by itself.
Measurement evidence
- Measurement evidenceChecked 15 August 2026
Required Greenhouse Gases in Inventories: Accounting and Reporting Standard Amendment
- Publisher
- GHG Protocol
- Edition
- Required gases amendment, February 2013
- Locator
- Pages 1 to 4
Supports: Official publisher reference linked specifically to the Sustopedia metric “Methane emissions mass”; interpret it with the source-edition basis and limitations shown on this page.
Open official source
Use with context
Interpretation boundaries
Method disclosures required
Source-edition basis: GHG Protocol Required Greenhouse Gases amendment, February 2013.
- Raw methane mass in metric tonnes of CH₄
- Organizational, operational and source boundary
- Measurement, monitoring or estimation method
- Included emissions scopes and methane-source classifications
- Any separately reported carbon dioxide-equivalent conversion basis
Record-specific limitations
- Raw methane mass is not carbon dioxide equivalent and must not be labelled or aggregated as tCO₂e.
- Any conversion to carbon dioxide equivalent requires a separately stated global-warming-potential source, edition and time horizon.
- Measurement technology, estimation factors, oxidation assumptions and source coverage can materially affect results.
- Fossil, biogenic and other methane sources may require separate contextual disclosure.
Interpret this metric with the stated reporting boundary, period convention, value shape, and unit. Results prepared with different boundaries or conventions may not be directly comparable.
Measurement evidence supports the core record-specific claims described above. Corroborative evidence can support limitations, while compatibility and status sources provide their separately labelled context. None of these cards by itself determines an organisation's legal applicability, filing readiness, assurance status, or compliance conclusion.