PARIS: A common topic of discussion in climate discussions is cutting CO2, the most hazardous greenhouse gas. However, methane emissions, another potent heat-trapping gas, will be the focus of a worldwide summit this week in Geneva.
Strong yet short-lived methane is a major target for nations hoping to reduce emissions rapidly and mitigate climate change. This is especially true because natural gas and oil operations are merely releasing massive volumes of methane into the sky.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector have increased for three years running, approaching record highs in 2023.
Methane: what is it?
Gas fuel is mostly composed of atmospheric methane (CH4), which is found in large quantities in the natural world. According to UN climate experts, it is the second major contributor to climate change, responsible for around 30% of the global warming since pre-industrial levels.
Methane has a considerably stronger warming effect than CO2 while only spending roughly ten years in the atmosphere. Over a 100-year period, its warming effect is 28 times larger than that of CO2 (and 80 times bigger over 20 years).
Despite advancements in satellite-based emission monitoring, the precise amount of methane released into the atmosphere is still “significantly uncertain,” according to the IEA.
Furthermore, methane concentrations in the atmosphere are currently nearly 2.5 times higher than pre-industrial levels, which has scientists perplexed.
Cow burps and gas leaks
According to the IEA, human activity is responsible for about 60% of methane emissions, with the remaining 40% coming from natural sources, primarily wetlands. Approximately 25% of the pollution is caused by agriculture, making it the primary offender.
The majority comes from rice farming, where flooded fields provide the perfect environment for bacteria that produce methane, and livestock, such as cows and sheep, who release methane during digestion and in their manure.
The second biggest source of methane produced by humans is the energy industry, which includes coal, oil, and gas. Methane is either purposefully released during maintenance processes or leaks from gas pipes and other energy infrastructure.
According to a March research published in the journal Nature, methane emissions from oil and gas projects in six key U.S. producing regions were three times higher than the government’s estimate, resulting in $1 billion in losses. If discarded household waste is allowed to rot in a landfill, it will also break down and release a lot of methane.
What actions are possible?
According to IEA projections, by mid-century, up to 0.1 degrees Celsius of warming might be avoided with swift reductions in methane emissions associated with the fossil fuel industry. Although that may seem insignificant, the agency said that such a decrease would have a bigger effect than “immediately taking all cars and trucks in the world off the road.”
It is regarded as “one of the best and most affordable” ways to mitigate global warming, according to IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
