Methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, with roughly 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. Reducing methane emissions could provide rapid and measurable climate benefits, with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) highlighting that halving human-caused methane emissions is one of the most cost-effective ways to slow near-term global warming.
To help identify and address unintentional methane leaks, UNEP launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) in 2022. This satellite-based system tracks emissions from the oil and gas sectors, providing free, accurate data on methane releases, which are otherwise invisible and odorless. According to UNEP’s latest International Methane Observatory report, alerts that prompted action increased from just one percent to 12 percent over the past year, though the agency emphasizes that further measures are needed to meet the goal of cutting one-third of methane emissions by 2030.
UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, stressed that while reporting improvements are important, they must translate into actual emission reductions. She encouraged companies to join the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, a global standard for measuring and mitigating methane in the oil and gas sector, which is also central to EU regulatory frameworks.
MARS is now being expanded to monitor methane emissions from coal mines and waste sites, where measurement has historically been limited, and UNEP is enhancing detection from the steel industry, which largely depends on coal. The agency notes that cost-effective solutions to reduce methane from coal use in steelmaking exist but remain largely underutilized, representing a missed opportunity in efforts to decarbonize the industry.
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