Dangerous orange plume covers the planet, UNEP issues urgent report: Action needed now!

Take a look at this NASA image. You can see that the planet is covered in a yellow-orange layer. That is methane .

At room temperature and standard pressure, methane is colorless and odorless. But NASA satellite and continuous observation data show methane everywhere, with its orange color illustrating that alarm.

The planet is covered in a yellow-orange layer. (Source: NASA).

To talk about the worrying impact of this gas, the International Energy Agency (IEA) briefly informed: methane is the main greenhouse gas causing climate change (causing more storms, floods, and extreme weather), causing air pollution, negative impacts on human health, and causing serious explosions.

Although invisible, the impact of methane is tangible. So, can governments act quickly to save the planet from methane?

The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Baku, Azerbaijan, which begins on November 11, 2024, is addressing this issue.

Most recently, within the framework of COP29, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the report "An Eye on Methane", highlighting that governments have not done enough to control methane emissions despite making commitments.

'An Eye on Methane' finds that just over 1% of governments and companies are taking action to stop methane leaks around the world.

UNEP's "An Eye on Methane" report calls on governments to take immediate action to cut methane emissions. (Photo: UNEP).

Over the past two years, the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) has detected more than 1,200 notifications of large methane plumes globally. The system was launched by UNEP at COP27 (2022) in Egypt to provide satellite notifications of very large methane emissions.

Of these, more than 150 countries, accounting for more than 50% of global human-caused methane emissions, have signed the Global Methane Commitment, launched at COP26 in November 2021 to promote action to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. This target has the potential to reduce warming by at least 0.2°C by 2050.

Source: International Energy Agency (IEA)

"The atmosphere has about 2.5 times more methane than it did in pre-industrial times and emissions have increased in recent years. Methane emissions from human activities are responsible for about 30% of the increase in global temperatures since pre-industrial times," Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP, said at a press conference during COP29.

Why does UNEP emphasize the importance of governments paying more attention to reducing methane emissions? Because the effects of methane are much more persistent and powerful than those of CO2.

The alarming effects of methane gas: Short-lived but powerful

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that its latest Global Methane Budget (GMB) estimates  annual global methane emissions at around 580 million tonnes.  Of this, around 40% comes from natural sources (such as wetlands), with the remainder coming from human activities.

The energy sector – which includes oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy – accounts for more than a third of methane emissions from human activity. Bioenergy – mainly from the use of biomass – contributed another 10 million tonnes of emissions. This level has remained steady since 2019, the IEA noted.

In 2023, the energy sector emitted nearly 130 million tons of methane - making it the second largest emitter after agriculture.

Of the nearly 130 million tonnes of methane released into the atmosphere from fuel use, about 80 million tonnes came from the 10 biggest emitters. The United States, the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas operations, topped the list, followed by Russia, according to IEA data.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and a major contributor to climate change. (Photo: iStock).

Satellite data shows that methane emissions increased by more than 50% in 2023 compared to 2022. More than 5 million tons were found to be caused by major fossil fuel leaks around the world. This included a major well blowout in Kazakhstan that began on June 9, 2023, and lasted for more than 200 days.

Methane remains in the atmosphere for around 12 years , which is shorter than the centuries-long lifespan of carbon dioxide (CO2). However, it absorbs much more energy during that time (a methane molecule traps more heat than a CO2 molecule), making it a potent greenhouse gas and a major contributor to climate change. This is why rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions from the energy sector are crucial to keeping global warming to 1.5°C.

Additionally, methane contributes to air pollution by forming ground-level ozone, which is harmful to health. Leaks also pose explosion risks and other safety concerns.

We can see that the impacts of methane emissions are felt directly on air quality, climate and health. Therefore, reducing these harmful emissions is essential to improve both environmental and public health.

As the UNEP Executive Director has said, human-caused methane emissions are responsible for about 30% of the planet's current warming. The science is clear: Reducing these emissions is the quickest and most cost-effective way to slow global warming in the near future – and is essential to preventing further climate damage.

"An Eye on Methane" comes at COP29 and is seen as "timely" as global efforts to tackle methane emissions must move from aspiration to action.

While methane has been difficult to detect and measure in the past, technologies and systems to manage methane emissions are emerging (UNEP's MARS, for example, uses advanced satellite technology and artificial intelligence). Methane may be invisible, but it is not invisible – and there is no longer any excuse for inaction.

The harmful effects of methane on global warming and human health have made it a top priority at this year's COP29 summit. And as leaders have said, the time to act is NOW!

Methane emissions need to be cut by 75%

The world needs to cut fossil fuel methane emissions by 75% by 2030 to meet the Paris Climate Agreement target of limiting warming to 1.5°C.

The IEA estimates that this target would require around $170 billion in spending, which is less than 5% of the income the fossil fuel industry would generate in 2023.

In addition, the agency observed that methane emissions from fossil fuels could be reduced by about 50% by 2030 if companies and countries implement all methane policies and commitments in a timely manner.

'Temperatures are rising rapidly and breaking records around the world. Working together for a livable planet is more urgent than ever. Reducing methane emissions remains one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to do this,' said Catherine Stewart, Canadian Ambassador for Climate Change.

In a positive sign, the Global Methane Commitment (GMP) - launched by the European Union and the United States at COP26 - has called on 156 more countries by September 2024 to join hands in implementing voluntary actions to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% compared to 2020 levels by 2030.

Achieving the GMP target would reduce methane emissions to levels consistent with a 1.5°C pathway while delivering significant benefits to human and ecosystem health, food security and the world economy.