DATA Point: 13 Oct 2023

Methane Emissions

The International Energy Agency, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition jointly released the report named ‘’The Imperative of Cutting Methane from Fossil Fuels- An Assessment of the Benefits for the Climate and Health.’’

The International Energy Agency:

The IEA was created in 1974 to help coordinate a collective response to major oil supply disruptions.
The IEA is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations, and real-world solutions to help countries provide secure and sustainable energy for all.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):

It was established after the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June 1972.
It is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system.

UNEP-Convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition:

The UNEP-Convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary partnership of over 160 governments, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations founded in 2012.
It is the only international body working to reduce powerful but short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) – methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and tropospheric ozone – that drive both climate change and air pollution.

Methane Emission Scenario: According to the report, methane is a potent greenhouse gas and is estimated to have been responsible for 30 percent of global warming since the Industrial Revolution. Although it remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time than carbon dioxide.
- Around 580 million tonnes (Mt) of methane is emitted annually globally, 60 percent of which comes from human activities, according to the latest assessment cited in the report.
- In 2022, fossil fuel operations alone were responsible for around 120 Mt of methane emissions.
- Under current trajectories, total anthropogenic methane emissions could rise by up to 13 percent between 2020 and 2030.

Achieving methane reduction targets will prevent 95 million tonnes of crop losses for wheat, rice, soy and maize (corn). These savings are equivalent to roughly 60 percent of the wheat, rice, soy and maize produced in Africa in 2021.
Avoiding such losses of crops, labour and forestry will provide direct economic benefits valued at more than $260 billion between 2020 and 2050.

Source: DTE