COP27: UN to set up system to track methane emissions from space
In keeping with the relatively new focus on cutting methane emissions, the UN has decided to set up a satellite-based monitoring system for tracking it and alerting governments and corporations to respond.
The Methane Alert and Response System, or MARS, will integrate data from a large number of exing and future satellites that have the ability to detect methane emission events anywhere in the world, and send out notifications to the relevant stakeholders to act on it.
In the last few years, there has been a lot of emphasis on reducing methane emissions. Methane is the second-most common of the six major greenhouse gases, but is far more dangerous than carbon dioxide in its potential to cause global warming. Accounting for about 17 per cent of the current global greenhouse gas emissions, methane is blamed for having caused at least 25 to 30 per cent of temperature rise since the pre-industrial times.
“This gathering must be the moment to re-commit our future and our shared capacity to write a better story for the world. Let’s build on our global climate progress. Raising, both, our ambitions and the speed of our efforts,” says President Joe Biden, @POTUS at #COP27. pic.twitter.com/4ESd1NO6nh
— COP27 (@COP27P) November 11, 2022
However, unlike carbon dioxide, methane is largely a sectoral gas, and there are only a few sources of emission. It is possible, therefore, to cut down on methane emissions without having widespread impact on the economy. Because its global warming potential is about 80 times that of carbon dioxide, a reduction in methane emissions also brings big benefits in a short time.
“Fortunately, action on methane emissions is one of the most cost effective and impactful actions a country can take,” Marcelo Mena, CEO of Global Methane Hub, said.
At the Glasgow climate conference last year, nearly 100 countries had come together in a voluntary pledge — now referred to as the Global Methane Pledge — to cut methane emissions at least 30 per cent 2030 from the 2020 levels. More countries have joined in this initiative since then, bringing the total to nearly 130. A 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions 2030 is expected to result in avoiding 0.2 degree rise in temperature the year 2050, and is considered absolutely essential in the global efforts to keep the temperature increase below the 1.5 degree Celsius target.
The MARS initiative is intended to strengthen these efforts. It would feed into the recently formed International Methane Emissions Observatory of the UN Environment Programme. To start with, MARS will track the large point emission sources, mainly in the fossil fuel industry, but with time, would be able to detect emissions from coal, waste, livestock and rice fields as well, a UN statement said.
US President Joe Biden, who came to the climate conference for a few hours on Friday, announced, among other things, a proposal to strengthen domestic standards with the aim of reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector 87 per cent from 2005 levels.
