Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Satellites now detect significant methane leaks from space in near real time, generating alerts within days. Since the 2023 launch of the UN Environment Programme’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), more than 5,000 alerts have been issued across 33 countries, leading to over 40 confirmed repairs. For example, a single alert in Algeria resulted in fixing a decades-long leak, with climate benefits equivalent to removing half a million cars from the road each year. Yet, only 13 percent of alerts have prompted any response from responsible parties so far.
Methane is responsible for about one-third of current global warming and has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than carbon dioxide. Reducing methane emissions now could yield measurable climate benefits within years instead of decades. While carbon dioxide is the main driver of long-term warming, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stressed the importance of prioritizing methane cuts for more immediate temperature relief.
Human activity generates over 60 percent of methane emissions, mainly from agriculture, fossil fuels, and waste. The fossil fuel industry, in particular, provides the fastest and most cost-effective opportunities to reduce methane leaks. UNEP’s program aims to enhance technical support, data access, and countries' ability to investigate and remediate leaks swiftly. Currently, only 10 countries fix 80 percent of major detected leaks; the goal is to expand this by 2030.
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted that with near real-time satellite monitoring, inaction on methane leaks is a deliberate choice. Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, emphasized that the data exists to stop leaks and called for accelerated action.