Research shows increase in methane levels outpacing other greenhouse gases
Researchers warned on Tuesday that concentrations of the potent greenhouse gas methane in the atmosphere are increasing at an accelerating rate, jeopardizing countries' efforts to achieve their climate targets.
TroibNews 
The rapid increase in atmospheric methane levels is jeopardizing global efforts to reach climate goals, according to a warning issued by researchers on Tuesday.
"Methane is rising faster in relative terms than any major greenhouse gas and is now 2.6-fold higher than in pre-industrial times," stated a team of global researchers guided by the Global Carbon Project, as mentioned in their publication in the Environmental Research Letters journal.
Methane, primarily produced from agriculture, energy generation, and decomposing organic waste in landfills, stands as the second-largest greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, following carbon dioxide. It exhibits a potent climate influence, approximately 80 times greater than CO2 over the first 20 years, although it breaks down faster.
This characteristic presents an opportunity for significant short-term climate impact mitigation. However, the researchers discovered that methane levels in the atmosphere continue to rise despite reduction efforts.
Over the past decades, the increase has been significant: the atmosphere saw an addition of around 6.1 million tonnes of methane annually during the 2000s, which escalated to 20.9 million tonnes yearly in the 2010s, reaching 41.8 million tonnes in 2020.
"Anthropogenic emissions have continued to increase in almost every other country in the world, with the exception of Europe and Australia, which show a slow declining trend," mentioned Pep Canadell, Executive Director of the Global Carbon Project and a co-author of the study.
Significant increases, particularly in China and Southeast Asia, were attributed to activities like coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and landfill operations. The researchers also noted that natural sources increased methane outputs due to the La Nina weather pattern.
An unexpected reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions in 2020, a result of decreased transportation use during the COVID-19 pandemic, paradoxically hindered the atmospheric breakdown of methane.
The escalating methane pollution is seen as a significant setback for maintaining global temperature increases below 2.0 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
A "Global Methane Pledge" was initiated in 2021 by the European Union and the United States seeking to reduce global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 figures by 2030. "Right now, the goals of the Global Methane Pledge seem as distant as a desert oasis," commented Rob Jackson, a Stanford University scientist and leading author of the study.
"We all hope they aren't a mirage."
In a related move, China and the United States are slated to host an international summit later this year, focusing on non-CO2 greenhouse gases, which might lead to more commitments from governments around the world.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
"Methane is rising faster in relative terms than any major greenhouse gas and is now 2.6-fold higher than in pre-industrial times," stated a team of global researchers guided by the Global Carbon Project, as mentioned in their publication in the Environmental Research Letters journal.
Methane, primarily produced from agriculture, energy generation, and decomposing organic waste in landfills, stands as the second-largest greenhouse gas emitted through human activities, following carbon dioxide. It exhibits a potent climate influence, approximately 80 times greater than CO2 over the first 20 years, although it breaks down faster.
This characteristic presents an opportunity for significant short-term climate impact mitigation. However, the researchers discovered that methane levels in the atmosphere continue to rise despite reduction efforts.
Over the past decades, the increase has been significant: the atmosphere saw an addition of around 6.1 million tonnes of methane annually during the 2000s, which escalated to 20.9 million tonnes yearly in the 2010s, reaching 41.8 million tonnes in 2020.
"Anthropogenic emissions have continued to increase in almost every other country in the world, with the exception of Europe and Australia, which show a slow declining trend," mentioned Pep Canadell, Executive Director of the Global Carbon Project and a co-author of the study.
Significant increases, particularly in China and Southeast Asia, were attributed to activities like coal mining, oil and gas extraction, and landfill operations. The researchers also noted that natural sources increased methane outputs due to the La Nina weather pattern.
An unexpected reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions in 2020, a result of decreased transportation use during the COVID-19 pandemic, paradoxically hindered the atmospheric breakdown of methane.
The escalating methane pollution is seen as a significant setback for maintaining global temperature increases below 2.0 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
A "Global Methane Pledge" was initiated in 2021 by the European Union and the United States seeking to reduce global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 figures by 2030. "Right now, the goals of the Global Methane Pledge seem as distant as a desert oasis," commented Rob Jackson, a Stanford University scientist and leading author of the study.
"We all hope they aren't a mirage."
In a related move, China and the United States are slated to host an international summit later this year, focusing on non-CO2 greenhouse gases, which might lead to more commitments from governments around the world.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
