According to recent Queen Mary University of London research, just around 13% of global methane emissions are regulated, despite the reality that methane emissions are responsible for at least 25% of current global warming.
The global review, which was published in One Earth on May 19th, 2023, also showed that little is known about the performance of existing policies, with potentially unrepresentative methane emission estimations being utilised instead of actual measurements. Inaccurate assessments might also lead to decision-makers dismissing the situation.
According to the researchers, in order to meet global climate targets, the lack of control and awareness of their influence should be rectified as soon as possible. A coordinated global plan with proper quantification and reporting, according to the analysis, might offer up new opportunities to drastically reduce global warming levels.
Man-made methane emissions need be reduced by 40-45% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C objective. Not only is methane mitigation a low-cost method of decreasing global warming, but it may also improve air quality. Since the 1980s, methane emissions have been steadily growing.
This is the first global study of methane laws to look at all main man-made emission sources, such as agriculture, electricity, and trash. Researchers looked at the geographical coverage, robustness, and effectiveness of 281 regulations around the world, 255 of which are currently on track to monitor and reduce methane emissions.
Approximately 90% of recognized national policies have been implemented in three regions: North America (39%), Europe (30%), and Asia Pacific (21%).The findings demonstrate that global methane policies have gradually increased since 1974. However, fossil methane policies, such as those aimed at emissions from the coal, oil, and gas industries, are less stringent than those aimed at biogenic methane sources, particularly garbage.
Additional mitigation potential in jurisdictions with fossil methane rules includes emissions from LNG carrier ships, which were investigated by a team of QMUL researchers led by Dr. Balcombe.
Identifying and measuring sources is one of the most difficult components of detecting methane emissions. Developing and implementing tools to monitor methane emissions, such as satellites, can aid policymakers in measuring, verifying, complying with, and detecting super-emitters.
Policies with greater policy coverage, mitigation methods that include major sources, and measurable goals could result in significant reductions in methane emissions.
Methane reduction is still perceived as a choice rather than a necessary step alongside CO2 reduction to combat global warming. And with so many different sources, there needs to be stronger social support and the political will to act.
Maria Olczak, Lead Researcher, Queen Mary University of London
Maria Olczak adds, “Our review highlights the value of setting policies that are predictable and clear for the industry. They will aid effective investment decisions aligned with the long-term climate mitigation goals, including the decrease in emission intensity and in production across developed and developing economies.”
It’s shocking to see that most methane emissions aren’t regulated when they contribute heavily to global warming today, although accurately monitoring emissions is not easy. Our chances of reaching global climate targets are slim if this goes unchecked. The good news is that there’s an enormous opportunity to limit warming in the short term if we act fast to get on top of methane emissions. We urgently need tighter regulation on better monitoring of methane and concrete actions towards reduction measures.
Dr. Paul Balcombe, Study Author and Senior Lecturer, Chemical Engineering, Queen Mary University of London
“Over the last few years, we have seen growing attention to methane thanks to multilateral initiatives such as the International Methane Emissions Observatory and the Global Methane Pledge. The European Union and the US EPA are now working to finalize ambitious regulations targeting methane emissions in the energy sector,” states Andris Piebalgs, study author and part-time Professor at the Florence School of Regulation and a former EU Commissioner for Energy.
Andris Piebalgs concludes, “I hope that the upcoming COP28 and the first Global Stocktake will make the policymakers across the world realize that methane mitigation is an effective way to enhance their climate commitments.”
Source: https://www.qmul.ac.uk/
