United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The Global Methane Assessment is working to better characterize the benefits of methane reductions with state-of-the-art modelling, and to document the multiple benefits that could be realized through methane reductions with examples including near-term technical and behavioural mitigation policies.
– Nathan Borgford-Parnell, (Science Affairs Coordinator), – Climate & Clean Air Coalition
The 2021 assessment report launched by Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) implies that, one of the most cost effective ways to achieve the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1.5°C target is by reducing the global methane emissions. Already available mitigation measures along with additional measures can reduce human caused methane emissions by as much as 45% or 180 million tonnes per year (Mt/yr) by 2030. This can avoid as much as 0.3°C of global warming by 2040. These targets can be easily achieved because around 60% of available current targeted measures have low mitigation costs while some measures have negative costs.
GHG emissions. Mitigation GHG impacts. Mitigation Methane. Mitigation policies
| To achieve targets consistent with keeping warming to 1.5° C, a combination of targeted measures and additional measures which reduce methane but do not primarily target it, are needed for all sectors, especially the agricultural one. |
The reason why methane emissions need to be closely monitored is because it is a short lived climate pollutant with an atmospheric lifetime of a decade. It is a greenhouse gas tens of times more powerful than CO2 a warming the atmosphere. The atmospheric concentrations of methane have been growing since the 1980’s and is now faster growing than ever before. The human caused methane emissions mainly comes from fossil fuels, agriculture and waste.
The result of five state-of-the art global composition-climate models to evaluate changes in the Earth’s climate system and surface ozone concentrations from reductions in methane emissions via modelling forms the finding of the assessment. Results shows the rapid evaluation of impacts from methane emissions and the benefits from mitigation strategies to the climate and ground-level ozone formation and, air quality, public health, agricultural and other development benefits.
The report states that for every million tonne (Mt) of methane reduced can prevent-
- Approximately 1430 annual premature deaths due to ozone globally.
- Can reduce an annual loss of about 400 million hours of work due to extreme heat.
- The global benefits per tonne of methane reduced are approximately US$ 4300
- Methane reduction can also help with sustainable development goals (SDGs)
Methane emissions need to be controlled in order to achieve our targets by 2030. To achieve targets consistent with keeping warming to 1.5° C, a combination of targeted measures and additional measures which reduce methane but do not primarily target it, are needed for all sectors, especially the agricultural one. There are many potential strategies that would facilitate the implementation of these measures including, for example, a price on emissions or an emissions reduction target.
Knowing the wide range of impacts of methane, urgent steps need to be implemented to reduce methane emissions. The social, economic and environmental benefit far out weight the costs. Also with the existence of readily available, low cost, targeted measures and with methane short atmospheric lifetime means that significant benefits can been achieved by 2030.
Targets and performance indicators to reduce methane emissions need to be set by governments and assessment methodologies need to be common to all and transparent. To keep global warming to 1.5 °C, focused efforts need to be implemented for all climate pollutants including carbon dioxide.
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Download full report from the website: https://www.unep.org/resources/report/global-methane-assessment-benefits-and-costs-mitigating-methane-emissions
References of work:
https://www.sei.org/publications/global-methane-assessment/
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/global-methane-assessment-released
