The UN’s atmosphere watchdog mentioned on Friday it is going to launch a public database of worldwide methane leaks detected by area satellites. It’s a part of a brand new program to encourage firms and governments to curb emissions of the highly effective greenhouse gasoline.
The system, dubbed MARS or Methane Alert and Response System, will construct on a pledge signed by 119 nations since final yr to chop methane emissions by 30 per cent this decade, a objective scientists say is essential to averting excessive local weather change.
“The Methane Alert and Response System is a giant step in serving to governments and corporations ship on this vital, short-term local weather objective,” Inger Andersen, government director of the UN Surroundings Programme, mentioned in an announcement issued on the COP27 local weather summit in Egypt.
“Lowering methane emissions could make a giant and speedy distinction, as this gasoline leaves the environment far faster than carbon dioxide.”
What influence is methane having on world warming?
Methane, which has a a lot greater warming impact than carbon dioxide throughout its brief lifespan, is accountable for a couple of quarter of the worldwide rise in temperatures thus far, scientists say.
The MARS system will depend on an present community of area satellites to identify methane plumes across the globe, estimate how massive they’re, and determine the corporate or authorities accountable, UNEP mentioned.
UNEP’s Worldwide Methane Emissions Observatory will then share details about the leak with whoever is accountable within the hope they’ll discover the reason for the leak and restore it.
After a interval of 45 to 75 days, the observatory will launch details about the leak, and the corporate or authorities response to it, to the general public database, UNEP mentioned.
What sources of methane will the system concentrate on?
The system will first concentrate on world oil and gasoline operations, among the many largest sources of methane, earlier than regularly increasing to cowl different industries like coal, waste, livestock, and rice.
The initiative will probably be funded partially by the US and European Union governments, together with philanthropic organizations together with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Earth Fund and the International Methane Hub, UNEP mentioned.
US Particular Local weather Envoy John Kerry, who helped spearhead the International Methane Pledge to chop methane emissions final yr, known as the brand new system “vital” to local weather efforts.
“Reducing methane is the quickest alternative to cut back warming and preserve 1.5°C inside attain, and this new alert and response system goes to be a vital software for serving to all of us ship on the International Methane Pledge,” he mentioned.
At COP27, the US and the EU are additionally set to make public a joint settlement to step up methane discount efforts from the fossil gasoline sector and are hoping different nations will signal on.
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