Fourth edition of ‘An Eye on Methane: Invisible but not unseen’ Report launched | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Fourth edition of ‘An Eye on Methane: Invisible but not unseen’ Report launched

Posted 18 Nov 2024

2 min read

Report has been published by United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO).

  • IMEO, a core implementing partner of Global Methane Pledge, provide open, reliable, and actionable data on methane emissions
  • IMEO collects and publishes data through rigorous industry reporting via the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), from satellites via the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), from global methane science studies, and from national emissions inventories.

Key Findings of Report

  • Global Warming: Human-caused methane emissions are responsible for roughly one-third of the planet’s current warming.
  • Emissions from Oil and Gas Sector: UNEP’s OGMP 2.0, which require its members to report their emissions, covers only 42% of global production.
  • Emissions in Steel Supply Chain: Production of metallurgical coal for steel production accounts for one-tenth of energy sector methane emissions and can be mitigated at a minimal cost.
  • Poor Response to Emissions: Through MARS, IMEO alerts countries of major emissions but only 1% of such alerts received any substantive response.

Initiatives taken to reduce Methane Emissions

  • Global: Global Methane Pledge, Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Global Methane Alliance etc.
  • India: National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project, National Livestock Mission, Gobar-Dhan Scheme, New National Biogas and Organic Manure Programme etc. 

About Methane

  • Methane is a major greenhouse gas and 86 times more potent than CO₂ in the short term but easier and faster to mitigate.
  • It is also a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP)having an atmospheric lifetime of 12 years.  
    • It acts as a precursor for toxic air pollutant tropospheric ozone, contributing to respiratory problems, crop losses etc. 
  • Over 60% of methane emissions come from human activity including agriculture, fossil fuels, and waste.
  • Tags :
  • Climate change
  • Methane Emission
  • UNEP
  • Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCPs)
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