Methane Global Tracker Report [UPSC Notes]

In March 2023, the International Energy Agency (IEA) published the annual Methane Global Tracker report. Methane is a greenhouse gas and its emission is a cause of concern with regard to the environment. In this article, you can learn all about the latest Methane Global Tracker Report and what it says. This is an important topic for the IAS exam environment and ecology segment.

Methane Global Tracker Report

The report has been released by the International Energy Agency, which works with countries towards shaping energy policies for a secure and sustainable future.

• The 2022 report gives, for the first time, a complete set of country-level estimates for methane emissions from the energy sector.
• The Tracker is an indispensable resource in the fight to bring down emissions and the new Global Methane Pledge.

Methane is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, and rapid and sustained reductions in methane emissions are key to limiting near-term global warming and improving air quality.

The findings of the report:

• The energy sector, having a mix of oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy, contributes around 40% to methane emissions from anthropogenic activity.
• The report says there is a huge disparity in emissions data i.e., the actual amount is about 70% greater than the amount national governments have officially reported.
• The global energy sector was responsible for about 135 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2022.
• Around 10 Mt of emissions were contributed by the incomplete combustion of bioenergy, mostly from the traditional use of biomass.

The following image shows the top ten emitters of methane in 2021 as given in the report:

Image source: www.iea.org

The silver lining:

• Just about 5% new methane addition from the mix from last year is a good sign of working out of the plan.
• The global drive towards green and renewable energy alternatives is showing positive results.
• The use of satellites has greatly enhanced the world’s knowledge of emission sources.
• Relatively few major leaks were detected from onshore oil and gas producers in the Middle East.

Global Methane Pledge

The Global Methane Pledge was launched in November 2021 and has annual ministerial-level meetings to review progress.

• This pledge endeavours to catalyze international action and strengthen support for existing methane emission reduction initiatives globally.
• It aims to advance technical and policy work to serve to underpin participants’ domestic actions. 
• It has 100+ members, covering nearly 50% of global anthropogenic methane emissions and over two-thirds of the global GDP.
• It is on the way to achieving the Pledge goal and preventing more than 8 gigatons of CO2 equivalent emissions annually by 2030.

Methane Global Tracker Report:- Download PDF Here