UNEP says COP29: Governments, industry must stop ‘pay lip service’ on methane and cut emissions
That message appears after one New UN report revealed that, over the past two years, a sophisticated system that detects significant methane leaks sent 1,200 notifications to governments and businesses, but only 1% of those notifications were responded to.
“We now have a proven system that can identify major leaks so we can quickly stop them – often with simple repairs. We are talking about tightening the bolts tighter in some cases,” Inger Anderson speaklaunch report, which highlights smoke alerts from the Methane Warning and Response System (Mars).
United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) chief’s warning is just one of many important events taking place today at COP29. The latest annual United Nations climate summit has been underway in the Azerbaijani capital since Monday and will take place over the weekend with experts and government negotiators gearing up for talks. difficult negotiations on climate issues. climate finance and reduce emissions. The goal is to reach an agreement by the time the meeting ends next weekend.
What is methane?
According to UNEP, the cause is human methane emissions responsible for about a third of the planet’s current warming. Reducing these emissions is the fastest, most cost-effective way to slow global warming in the near term and is essential to prevent serious climate damage.
Three industries account for the majority of man-made methane: agriculture, waste and fossil fuels. Coal mining contributes 12% of fossil fuel industry emissions, while oil and gas extraction, processing and distribution account for 23%.
About 20% of methane emissions in the waste sector come from wastewater and landfills. Ultimately, about 32% of emissions in the agricultural sector come from livestock grazing and fertilization, while a further 8% come from rice cultivation.
Currently, the amount of methane in the atmosphere is about 2.5 times more than in pre-industrial times Emissions have increased in recent yearsAccording to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
How can we cut methane?
Although methane is considered an ‘extreme greenhouse gas’ it is actually easier to reduce than carbon dioxide, or CO2, the better known heat-trapping gas, because methane has a longer shelf life. at shorter than in the atmosphere.
UNEP takes the lead International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) and the high-tech MARS system uses artificial intelligence (AI) and satellite data to detect emissions and help industry and countries identify and tackle large methane emissions.
“Governments and oil and gas companies must stop paying lip service to this challenge when the answer is staring them in the face,” said Ms. Anderson, Executive Director of UNEP.
Instead, they should recognize the important opportunity presented “and start responding to the warnings by plugging the leaks that are releasing climate-warming methane into the atmosphere. The tools are in place, the goals are set – now is the time to act,” she said.
While there is still more work to be done, the report highlights examples of countries and companies responding – demonstrating the value of data-driven solutions like MARS. In 2024, the IMEO facility verified action to reduce emissions from major leaks in Azerbaijan and the United States.
In Algeria and Nigeria, MARS announcements and engagement have led to direct action from governments and oil companies to address major methane leaks. For example, UNEP said that in the case of Nigeria, the six-month leak released the equivalent of 400,000 cars driven in methane for a year and could have been fixed in less than two weeks using just How to replace defective equipment.
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