While 155 countries have committed to reducing methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 under the Global Methane Pledge, new research reveals that the world’s methane emissions have been rising at a record pace over the last five years.
At least two-thirds of methane emissions produced each year come from human activities like agriculture, fossil fuels, landfills and other waste, the Stanford Report said.
In a new perspective article published in Environmental Research Letters, the researchers warn this dire pattern “cannot continue if we are to maintain a habitable climate.” The article was published with corresponding figures in Earth System Science Data.
Both papers were produced by the Global Carbon Project, an initiative that tracks global greenhouse gas emissions and is chaired by Rob Jackson, a Stanford University scientist.
Concentrations of methane in the atmosphere have grown to more than 2.6 times what they were during pre-industrial times and the highest the planet has seen in 800,000-plus years.
“Right now, the goals of the Global Methane […]