Climate Corner: A Gas-tronomical solution to food waste

Reducing methane emissions could be the short-term victory we need to slow global warming. And a new prize rewards the best ideas to do just that.

Whenever people talk about slowing the pace of global warming — whether it be scientists or the general public — the conversation generally turns to carbon dioxide, which is indeed a huge problem. But there’s another gas that is more harmful, shorter-lived and increasingly overlooked: methane (aka natural gas, which is approximately 87% methane). And if we can reduce the release of methane at scale, it could have a dramatic impact on slowing the planet’s ever-increasing average temperature.

We think we can do just that, with the launch of the Climate Curve Prize: Methane. This new prize is focused squarely on solutions to the methane emissions from our food and waste systems, and will reward eight winners (in four separate categories) with $25,000 each. That’s a total commitment of $200,000 to reducing emissions from the systems responsible for releasing approximately 60% of human-caused methane into the atmosphere.

Climate Curve already oversees the Keeling Curve Prize, which rewards innovative climate solutions that reduce the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and all other greenhouse gases. Applications for our new Climate Curve Prize: Methane opened Feb. 23, and will continue to be accepted until mid-April.

Methane doesn’t stay around as long as CO2. It breaks down in about a decade, but while it’s in the atmosphere, it traps up to 85% more heat than carbon dioxide. That means reducing methane emissions will have outsized near-term climate benefits — like e-brakes on the runaway train of global warming.

Food systems — from soil and livestock to transport, processing and waste — are alarmingly some of the largest and fastest-growing sources of methane emissions globally. Grains like rice, ruminants like cattle and decomposing food waste all release methane as part of their life cycles. Tackling these sources isn’t just about tweaking farming practices — it’s about redesigning the way we grow, feed, move, consume, and value our food.

That’s why I’m especially excited about this latest prize: It’s not just about recognizing cool tech or clever science. It’s about systems thinking, the circular economy and incentives that lift up solutions that are both practical on the ground and scalable around the world. From feed additives that reduce livestock emissions, to regenerative agriculture that locks carbon into soil while cutting methane, to smarter logistics and waste-to-value pathways, the prize invites innovators to reimagine the full cycle of food and waste.

And let’s be clear: Innovation in this space has momentum. We’re already seeing breakthroughs like seaweed-based feed supplements and vaccines that can cut enteric methane dramatically, methane-reducing cultivation methods for rice and circular approaches to capturing gas from organic waste. These aren’t fringe ideas — they’re real tools that can shrink emissions while supporting farmers, food producers and communities.

But incentives like the Climate Curve Prize: Methane matter because they help bridge the so-called Valley of Death, the limbo between ideation and revenue that can crush so many startups based on brilliant ideas. Many promising solutions stall not for lack of potential, but for lack of visibility, resources and early support. It’s precisely why prizes and recognition can catalyze growth, attract investment and build the partnerships necessary to move from demonstration to deployment.

In the end, bending the climate curve won’t come from one sector or addressing one gas alone. We still need aggressive carbon dioxide mitigation across energy, transport, industry and land use. But methane offers one of our most potent short-term wins — especially where it intersects with our global food and waste systems, which literally feeds the planet. Turning down this dial buys us precious time on the climate clock.

So here’s my invitation: If you have a solution, apply for this first-of-its-kind methane prize at climatecurve.org and let’s celebrate the innovators stepping up. And let’s double down on supporting them. Because when we rethink what we grow, how we grow it and how we use every scrap of food and waste we produce, we unlock climate solutions that are not only effective, but equitable and regenerative, too.