Earth Today | Eye on methane

WITH METHANE emissions responsible for about one third of the world’s warming, a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has pointed to the need for greater collaborative, data-informed best efforts to identify its individual sources and to implement response actions.

“The UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), launched at the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting in November 2021, serves as a core implementing partner of the Global Methane Pledge. IMEO’s mission is to provide open, reliable and actionable emissions data to the individuals with the agency to reduce methane emissions,” said the 2025 report titled From measurement to momentum: Data is driving action – now the pace must match the promise.

“A methane data revolution driven by innovation and rapid momentum towards methane mitigation has resulted in rich and diverse streams of data, but accessing its full value requires addressing the siloed nature of data from various sources such as satellites, aircraft, ground-based measurements, industry reports and emission inventories. Data integration is fundamental for tapping the full potential of existing and emerging data sources and is a central element of IMEO’s work,” the report added.

This comes against the background of the recognition that reducing emissions from methane is one of the best, most cost-effective ways to tackle climate change. Methane is one of a variety of greenhouse gases that fuel global warming, prompting, in turn, climate impacts that include sea level rise, coastal erosion, and extreme hurricane and drought events.

According to the report, the goal of measurement is more than data collection, it is also about emissions reduction.

“Meaningful mitigation requires clear, ambitious emissions targets supported by accurate, measurement-based data. As industries and governments set mitigation targets, accurately tracking changes in emissions over time becomes central to realising these commitments. Assessing progress requires reliable and readily available measurement-based approaches,” it said.

THEORY OF CHANGE

“IMEO’s theory of change rests on three pillars: transparency, science and implementation, each designed to ensure that accurate data leads to credible, sustained methane reductions,” it added.

Among the key initiatives of IMEO are the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) and the Steel Methane Programme (SMP), which look at establishing “measurement-based reporting frameworks to track changes in emissions over time and to enable methane mitigation by committing companies to evolve their data from outdated or inaccurate estimates to empirical source- and site-level data”.

There is, among others, also the Methane Alert and Response System, which shares notifications that enable responsible parties to make changes, informed by their monitoring of global methane emissions and more than 12 satellite instruments.

The time is now, the report said, to progress that work, and for collaborators to make best use of the available data even as they help to improve the quality of the data.

“This year has demonstrated that credible, transparent methane data is already driving action and results. Advances in measurement and reporting now make it possible to target reductions at speed and scale, delivering immediate gains for the climate while also strengthening public health, energy security and livelihoods,” it said.

“IMEO will continue to expand access to this data, foster partnerships and support practical solutions. The transparency this data enables holds the promise of lasting progress. Investors and civil society continue to encourage ambition, and now the foundation is laid for governments and companies to act decisively and seize the methane opportunity,” it added.

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