Fossil fuels, cattle and rotting waste produce greenhouse gases responsible for 30 per cent of global heating.
Human-caused methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45 per cent by 2030, a Global Methane Assessment released by the Climate & Clean Air Coalition suggests.
Slashing methane emissions is vital to tackle climate change, and instrumental to meet the Paris Climate Agreement’s aim to limit global warming.
Methane is a significant element in climate change and a toxic air pollutant. A 45 per cent reduction of methane would prevent 260,000 premature deaths, 77,500 asthma-related hospital visitors, 73 billion hours of lost labour, and 25 million tonnes of crop losses each year.
The report goes on to explain that human-caused methane emissions originate from three main sectors: fossil fuels, waste, and agriculture.
In the fossil fuel sector, oil and gas extraction, processing, and distribution account for 23 per cent, and coal mining accounts for 12 per cent of emissions. In the waste sector, landfills and wastewater make up about 20 per cent of emissions. In the agricultural sector, livestock emissions from manure and enteric fermentation represent roughly 32 per cent, and rice cultivation 8 per cent of emissions.
The report discovered that reducing methane emissions requires existing technology and readily available solutions at a reasonable cost. It is highlighted that many measures may in face save money, by capturing methane leaks at fossil fuel sites.
By reducing 45 per cent of methane emissions, a 0.3°C increase in global warming could be avoided by 2045, and would keep the world on track to meet the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
Methane is 84 times more powerful in trapping heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, and to date has caused an estimated 30 per cent of global heating.
Unlike carbon dioxide which remains in the atmosphere for centuries, methane has the potential to break down and mainly dissipating within a decade. This means that cutting down methane emissions now will have the effect of rapidly reducing the rate of global warming in the near future.
Drew Shindell, Professor of Climate Science at Duke University, chaired the assessment for the CCAC, commented: ‘To achieve global climate goals, we must reduce methane emissions while also urgently reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
‘The good news is that most of the required actions bring not only climate benefits but also health and financial benefits, and all the technology needed is already available.’
Read more about how Londoners would like improving air quality to be higher on the political agenda.
