Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a warming potential 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
Reducing emissions would bring rapid and tangible climate benefits, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), arguing that cutting human-caused emissions by about half is one of the most cost-effective ways to slow climate change in the short term.
In 2022, UNEP launched a satellite tracking system to detect unintentional methane leaks from the oil and gas sectors.
“Bending the curve” on emissions
Known as MARS (Methane Alert and Response System), it provides free, accurate information on emissions – which are odorless, invisible and therefore difficult to spot – so that companies and national authorities can act accordingly.
According to the latest edition of UNEP International Methane Observatory publication released Wednesday, the number of alerts resulting in action increased from 1 to 12 percent over the past year.
The agency says more action is needed to meet the goal of reducing methane emissions by a third by 2030.
“Reducing methane emissions can quickly reverse the curve of global warming, buying more time for long-term decarbonization efforts.“, says Inger Andersen, director of UNEP: “But significant progress in reporting must translate into emissions reductions.”
A firm response
Ms Anderson urged all businesses in the sector to join the Oil and gas methane 2.0 partnershipthe global standard for measuring and mitigating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which is fundamental to regulating the world’s largest oil and gas purchasing market – the European Union.
The MARS system is now being extended to cover methane emissions from coal mines and landfills – where measurements have until now been rare – and UNEP is stepping up detection of emissions from the steel industry, which still relies mainly on coal.
In its report, the UN agency notes that low-cost solutions to methane emissions from coal used in steelmaking are available but remain largely overlooked in efforts to decarbonize the industry.
Publicado anteriormente en Almouwatin.
