Global coal trade induces large CH emissions.

Coal mining is a major source of global anthropogenic methane (CH) emissions contributing to climate change. The volume of coal traded has reached new heights in recent years, however, existing studies have ignored the impact of CH emissions induced by coal trade. This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of global coal trade-related CH emissions from 1990 to 2021. Global coal trade-related CH emissions increased 3.5 times from around 1.4 Tg to 6.1 Tg during this period. Examining past global coal trade activities reveals the extraordinary growth and prominence of the Asia-Pacific region. Australia, Indonesia, and Russia dominated trade-related CH emissions, accounting for 80.4% in 2021. Hub economies have the potential to drive significant mitigation of trade-related CH emissions through energy consumption transitions, the deployment of emissions mitigation technologies, and changes in trade structure. Our findings shed light on identifying trade-induced emissions hotspots and managing coal-related CH to mitigate climate change.