Facts about Methane

Methane Molecule, Credit: Vchal for iStock

What you need to know about methane

Methane (CH4), the primary component of natural gas, is responsible for approximately a third of the warming we are experiencing today. (IPCC)
Methane is a powerful and short-lived greenhouse gas, with a lifetime of about a decade and Global Warming Potential about 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide (CO2) during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. (IPCC)
Without action global anthropogenic methane emissions are projected to rise by up to 13% between 2020 and 2030. Global methane emissions must be reduced by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030 to be consistent with least-cost pathways of limiting global warming to 1.5°C this century (CCAC). · Methane also harms human and ecosystem health. Methane emissions lead to ground-level ozone pollution which causes approximately a million premature deaths per year globally and reduces crop productivity and harms ecosystems.. (UNEP&WMO)
Decarbonizing our economies and transitioning out of fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050 must go hand in hand with full implementation of targeted methane abatement by 2030 to keep our 1.5 °C target within reach. All least cost pathways consistent with 1.5 °C require full implementation of methane targeted measures by 2030 to cut emissions by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030.
Proven technologies and practices could reduce emissions from the major sectors, i.e. fossil fuel, waste and agriculture, by approximately 180 million tonnes a year, or as much as 45% by 2030. Most of these technical solutions can be implemented at negative or low cost, especially in the fossil fuel and waste sectors.
Methane is increasingly a global climate priority, with ambition for addressing emissions building among both governments and companies. (UNEP)
The majority of human-driven methane emissions come from three main sectors: approximately 40% from agriculture, 35% from fossil fuels an another 20% from solid waste and wastewater (CCAC)
The fossil fuel sector has the greatest share of ready-to-implement and cost effective technical opportunities to reduce methane emissions in this decade. Investments needed in operational changes in the oil and gas sector are equivalent to less than 2% of income generated by oil and gas companies in 2022.

The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) catalyses the collection, reconciliation and integration of empirically based, near real time methane emissions data, to provide unprecedented climate transparency and the information required for reducing this powerful greenhouse gas.

IMEO exists to provide open reliable actionable data to the individuals who act to reduce 150 Mt of methane emissions by 2030. It serves the rapidly growing ecosystem of governments, companies, investors, researchers, NGOs and other entities engaging in this crucial climate challenge.

Launched at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2021, IMEO focussed initially on emissions from the fossil industry. It reconciles methane data from scientific measurement studies, satellites through the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), rigorous industry reporting through the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), and national inventories. IMEO is expanding its activities to other sectors.

In Energy

Why Is Methane Mitigation in the Fossil Fuel Sector Critical For Reaching 1.5 Target?

The fossil fuel sector accounts for about 35% of anthropogenic methane emissions. To be consistent with IPCC 1.5 °C scenarios, methane emissions from the sector should be reduced by approximately 60% below 2020 levels by 2030 and nearly 80% by 2050. (UNEP/CCAC)
The fossil fuel sector has the greatest share of ready-to-implement and cost-effective technical opportunities to reduce methane emissions. (IEA/UNEP/CCAC)
Tried and tested approaches exist. 80% of oil and gas methane abatement measures and up to 98% of coal measures could be implemented at a negative or low cost. Total spending required to deploy all available methane mitigation strategies in the oil and gas sector through 2030 is less than 2% of the net income earned by this industry in 2022 (IEA/UNEP/CCAC).
Immediate, targeted methane abatement in the fossil fuel sector can prevent nearly 1 million premature deaths due to ozone exposure, 90 million tonnes of crop losses due to ozone and climate changes, and about 85 billion hours of lost labour due to heat exposure by 2050, providing roughly USD 260 billion in direct economic benefits. (IEA/UNEP/CCAC)

Woman Oil Platform, Credit: Shutterstock

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Methane mitigation is an economic and environmental win-win. As natural gas is composed mostly of methane, emissions of methane from the oil and gas value chain represent a wasted product that translates into roughly $34 billion of lost revenue per year, at average 2017 delivered prices. (UNEP)
Without a dual strategy of reducing methane and deep decarbonisation we will not be able to meet the Paris Agreement objective. Reduction in oil and gas demand will lead to a reduction in methane emissions—but will not reduce methane fast enough to limit warming to 1.5 °C without additional, immediate actions to abate methane emissions from fossil fuel production. We cannot wait to deploy this essential climate and health solution.
Appropriate regulatory frameworks are needed, as well as credible data, and a dramatic ramp-up in investment to mitigate methane emissions from fossil fuel production.
Measures can and should be financed by the industry itself, but a number of low- and middle-income countries may face barriers to accessing capital for some interventions, which may not be implemented without external support.

How does UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) help to Achieve the Deep Reduction of Fossil Methane?

Achieving methane reduction on the scale and at the speed necessary to meet the Paris Agreement goals will require more targeted and ambitious actions – and for that, near-real time, accurate, and granular data on the locations and quantity of methane emissions are needed.
To address the data problem, United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission have established International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), which is a revolutionary data entity that brings data transparency, science, and government action together on the scale needed to address the methane emissions problem.
The core function of IMEO is to take near-real-time data and integrate it to create a public dataset of empirically verified methane emissions, by taking multiple data streams generated through peer-reviewed methodologies, and then compiling them using advanced data science methodologies.
The key to the IMEO data approach is company data collected through Oil and Gas Methane Partnership. Through IMEO, the company data will be verified against other data sources to provide the highest level of confidence to stakeholders that company targets are being achieved.
The final product will be a public dataset that provides a detailed picture of emissions around the world. These findings will support science-based policy actions that are critical for countries and companies alike to pursue in order to limit warming to 2or even 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Satellite, Credit: Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash

30-60%

Reducing methane emissions

The Paris Agreement cannot be achieved without reducing methane emissions by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030.

The Paris Agreement 1.5C target cannot be achieved without reducing methane emissions by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030. Reduction of this magnitude would avoid nearly 0.3°C of warming by 2045 and complement long-term climate change mitigation efforts. (CCAC)
Agriculture is the largest single source of global methane emissions, responsible for roughly 40% of manmade emissions; Fossil fuels are the second largest source, responsible for approximately 35% of emissions, with waste and others making up the rest. (CCAC)
Decarbonizing our economies and transitioning out of fossil fuels to achieve net zero by 2050 must go hand in hand with full implementation of targeted methane abatement by 2030 to keep our 1.5 °C target within reach. All least cost pathways consistent with 1.5 °C require full implementation of methane targeted measures by 2030 to cut emissions by 30-60% below 2020 levels by 2030.
Methane is increasingly a global climate priority, with ambition for addressing emissions building among both governments and companies. (UNEP)

Related Sustainable Development Goals

Facts about Methane

What you need to know about methane

Why Is Methane Mitigation in the Fossil Fuel Sector Critical For Reaching 1.5 Target?

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How does UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) help to Achieve the Deep Reduction of Fossil Methane?

Reducing methane emissions

Related Sustainable Development Goals

Goal 7

Goal 9

Goal 13