Global Methane Assessment Report by UNEP & CCAC

In May 2021, a study entitled "Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Reducing Methane Emissions" or the Global Methane Assessment Report, stated that the world must drastically reduce methane emissions to prevent extreme climate changes. The report was published in May 2021 by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Global Methane Assessment Report

The Global Methane Assessment Report highlights the vital role that cutting methane emissions, notably from industries like fossil fuels, can play in slowing the global temperature rise. Reducing methane from human causes by 45% in the next ten years will help keep warming under the threshold set by the world's leaders.

There are many advantages to taking action, which could aid in preventing dangerous tipping points; better air quality, which could save thousands of lives; increase the security of food by preventing losses to crops and generating jobs by reducing efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change while improving productivity due to fewer temperatures.

Global Methane Assessment Report Importance

• The human factor is why methane-related emissions are growing more quickly than ever since records began to be kept in the early 1980s.
• The levels of carbon dioxide have fallen in the Covid-19 pandemic. But, methane in the atmosphere hit records this year.
• This causes alarm since it was the cause of about 30% of warming in the past 30 years before industrialization.

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Decrease Methane Emissions from Primary Sources

Fossil Fuel

• Oil and gas extraction, processing, and distribution made up 23 per cent of methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry. Coal mining contributed 12% to methane emissions.
• Fossil fuels had the most chance of cutting methane at a low cost; up to 80 per cent of the gas and oil industry measures can be implemented at minimal or no cost.
• Around 60% of the methane cuts in this area could generate profit since reducing leaks will make more gas available for sale.

Waste

• Wastewater and landfills were responsible for around 20% of the emissions from the waste industry.
• The waste industry could reduce methane emissions by improving sewage treatment throughout the globe.

Agriculture

• In the agriculture sector, livestock emissions from enteric and manure fermentation comprised around 32%, and rice cultivation accounted for 8 per cent of emissions.
• Three behavioural changes cutting down on food loss and waste, improving livestock management, and adopting healthier food choices (vegetarian and with reduced dairy and meat consumption) - can reduce methane emissions by between 65 and 80 million tonnes annually over the next couple of decades.

Reflection of Global Methane Assessment Report

The Global Methane Assessment Report reflects the environmental safety of our society. And it's high time for communities, governments and individuals to come forward and take action.

The waste industry can reduce methane emissions by enhancing the disposal process of sewage all over the globe. Three changes in behavioural patterns, including cutting down on food loss and waste, improving the management of livestock, and adopting healthy eating habits (vegetarian or with less dairy and meat content), could help reduce methane emissions by between 65 and 80 million tonnes annually in the coming years.

FAQs on Global Methane Assessment Report

Q1. What does the Global Methane Assessment Report emphasise?

The Global Methane Assessment Report highlights the vital role that cutting methane emissions, notably from industries like fossil fuels, can play in slowing the global temperature rise.

Q2. What percentage of methane is contributing to global warming according to Global Methane Assessment Report?

According to the Global Methane Assessment Report, Methane is also a potent greenhouse gas, and in 20 years, it's 80 times more powerful for temperatures than carbon dioxide. Methane is responsible for about 30% of worldwide warming from the pre-industrial era and is increasing more rapidly than at any other point since record-keeping began in the early 1980s.

Q3. According to the Global Methane Assessment Report, does methane cause more harm than CO2?

According to the Global Methane Assessment Report, Methane in its gaseous form can be more than 25x more potent than carbon dioxide in capturing heat within the atmosphere. Over the past two centuries, the methane levels in the atmospheric atmosphere have more than doubled, primarily due to human activities.

Q4. Where is the bulk of methane emissions coming from?

The most significant source of human-caused methane emissions is agriculture, which accounts for about 25% of the total and is closely followed by the energy industry, including emissions from oil, coal, natural gas, biofuels, and natural gas to the latest Global Methane Assessment Report.