Emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, are responsible for at least one quarter of global warming. The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has increased by 162 per cent compared to pre-industrial levels and hit record year-on-year jumps in 2020 and 2021 since systematic measurements began in 1983.
Methane is much more potent than carbon dioxide, meaning that reducing its emissions is the fastest way to decrease the rate of global warming and avoid the worst effects of climate change in the short-term.
Now, a new satellite-based system that detects and tracks emissions of the climate warming gas can expedite this process.
Launched at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP27), the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) provides near-real-time actionable and transparent data on global methane emissions. In its initial phase, MARS focuses on very large emission sources from the energy sector and will notify governments and companies to spur action and track mitigation actions.
MARS can bolster the impact of the Global Methane Pledge to reduce global emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030, which 130 countries have already joined. This new system, part of the UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, to help humanity deliver on its climate goals and move towards a net-zero future.
