The United Nations has made significant strides in detecting major methane leaks, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for a considerable portion of global warming. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has revealed that satellite tracking efforts have improved the detection of these emissions, yet only about 12 percent of the alerts prompted by these systems are acted upon by companies and governments. Methane is acknowledged for having up to 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these emissions.
In 2022, UNEP launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), a satellite tracking tool designed specifically to identify unintentional methane leaks from oil and gas operations. This system provides free and accurate data regarding emissions, which are typically hard to detect due to being odorless and invisible, thereby facilitating timely interventions by relevant authorities.
The latest report from UNEP’s International Methane Observatory highlighted a modest increase in the action taken following alerts—from one percent to 12 percent in the past year. This indicates a growing awareness and willingness to address methane emissions, but UNEP stresses that substantially more action is necessary to meet the international goal of reducing methane emissions by a third by 2030.
Inger Andersen, head of UNEP, emphasized the critical importance of accelerating methane emission reductions to provide immediate climate benefits while allowing for ongoing decarbonization efforts. She encouraged the oil and gas sector to fully engage with the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, a global standard focused on accurately measuring and mitigating methane emissions, which is essential for regulatory actions in significant markets, including the European Union.
Furthermore, the MARS system is set to expand its monitoring capabilities to include emissions from coal mines and waste sites, sectors that have historically lacked sufficient measurement systems. UNEP is also increasing its focus on methane emissions from the steel industry, which predominantly relies on coal, noting that low-cost solutions for reducing emissions in steelmaking remain underutilized in current decarbonization strategies.
This proactive stance taken by UNEP reflects a commitment to not only track but also actively mitigate methane emissions, creating a hopeful perspective that with improved tracking and concerted actions by countries and industries, it is possible to significantly impact climate change in the near term. The collaborative efforts and collective engagements in these initiatives may ultimately serve as vital components in the global fight against climate change, leading to a more sustainable future.