<p>Yes, this is broadly true.  I haven't looked into much of the report yet, but I suspect that the BBC are referring to Fig 7.7 for an estimate of the observed warming attributed to changes in methane concentration.  The figure has 0.28 °C as the best estimate, which they've rounded (or had quoted to them in a briefing) as 0.3 °C:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Nx5Qg.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Nx5Qg.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>The slight wrinkle is that estimate is for 2019 relative to 1750 and a total warming of 1.27 °C, whereas the quoted 1.1 °C total warming is probably the observed 2010-19 relative to 1850-1900 value (see SPM A.1.2 or A.1.3).  It's possible that the BBC are mashing together some incompatible estimates here or, as I say, they may have been briefed with the best bottom line to quote.  Note that the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) has another figure, SPM.2, that gives a best estimate of the methane contribution of 0.5 °C relative to the appropriate decades:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Sl7pS.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Sl7pS.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>As I say, I haven't looked into all the nuances of these different estimates yet but, yes, the contribution to total warming attributed to methane is comfortably several tenths of a °C.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-10T12:48:38.620Z
2021-08-10T12:48:38.620Z
Deditos
<p>BBC says that the latest IPCC report says methane is responsible for 0.3°C out of 1.1°C of all cumulative warming since pre-industrial times.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>According to the IPCC, around 0.3C of the 1.1C that the world has already warmed by comes from methane.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><em>(from <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58138714" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a>)</em></p>
<p>But the thing is I opened the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/SR15_Full_Report_High_Res.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">report</a>, Ctrl+F'ed &quot;0.3&quot; and &quot;methane&quot;, and didn't find that. Is it true that methane is responsible for nearly one-third of all warming? Did I miss something in the text?</p>
<p>UPD: <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This</a> is THE report, actually. I didn't find it there too, though (I searched for &quot;0.3°C&quot;).</p>
<p>UPD 2: @Deditos found something interesting on page 7.183 (1797)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-08-10T11:45:01.910Z
Yes, it is true. But you are looking at the wrong report. The one you cite is geared towards understanding what needs to be done to keep warming to 1.5 C, not what the causes are of global warming.
Wolfgang Bangerth
<climate-change><greenhouse-gases>
Is it true that methane is responsible for nearly one-third of all warming?
Sergey Zolotarev
# Is it true that methane is responsible for nearly one-third of all warming?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-10)

BBC says that the latest IPCC report says methane is responsible for 0.3°C out of 1.1°C of all cumulative warming since pre-industrial times.

> According to the IPCC, around 0.3C of the 1.1C that the world has already warmed by comes from methane.

*(from [here](https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-58138714))*

But the thing is I opened the [report](https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/06/SR15_Full_Report_High_Res.pdf), Ctrl+F'ed "0.3" and "methane", and didn't find that. Is it true that methane is responsible for nearly one-third of all warming? Did I miss something in the text?

UPD: [This](https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Full_Report.pdf) is THE report, actually. I didn't find it there too, though (I searched for "0.3°C").

UPD 2: @username_2 found something interesting on page 7.183 (1797)

**Tags:** climate-change, greenhouse-gases

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Yes, it is true. But you are looking at the wrong report. The one you cite is geared towards understanding what needs to be done to keep warming to 1.5 C, not what the causes are of global warming.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-08-10. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Yes, this is broadly true. I haven't looked into much of the report yet, but I suspect that the BBC are referring to Fig 7.7 for an estimate of the observed warming attributed to changes in methane concentration. The figure has 0.28 °C as the best estimate, which they've rounded (or had quoted to them in a briefing) as 0.3 °C:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Nx5Qg.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Nx5Qg.png)

The slight wrinkle is that estimate is for 2019 relative to 1750 and a total warming of 1.27 °C, whereas the quoted 1.1 °C total warming is probably the observed 2010-19 relative to 1850-1900 value (see SPM A.1.2 or A.1.3). It's possible that the BBC are mashing together some incompatible estimates here or, as I say, they may have been briefed with the best bottom line to quote. Note that the Summary for Policymakers (SPM) has another figure, SPM.2, that gives a best estimate of the methane contribution of 0.5 °C relative to the appropriate decades:

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Sl7pS.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/Sl7pS.png)

As I say, I haven't looked into all the nuances of these different estimates yet but, yes, the contribution to total warming attributed to methane is comfortably several tenths of a °C.


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