Curbing global warming and cutting emissions by safely identifying who is producing them. This is what the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) that the UN presented at Cop27 today is designed to do. This satellite-based system will be able to tell us which sources are releasing the most methane into the atmosphere, with a level of definition that has never been seen before.
From space, it will also be possible to detect the quantities of methane emitted by cargo ships running on Liquefied Natural Gas, a fossil fuel that has always been considered an intermediate solution en route to Net-Zero.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane is responsible for at least a quarter of global warming, and emissions will need to be reduced by at least 30% by 2030 if we are to keep to the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius under the Paris Agreement.
The new System will allow the UN to verify emissions that companies are reporting and map changes over time. MARS will be implemented through strategic partnerships with the International Energy Agency and the United Nations Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which will provide help and advice.
Translation by Giles Foster
