Methane and climate change | methane global warming
Theconcentrationofmethaneintheatmosphereiscurrentlyaroundtwo-and-a-halftimesgreaterthanitspre-industriallevels.Theincreasehasacceleratedinrecentyears,andpreliminaryanalysis[1]indicates2021’sriseislikelytobeamongstthelargesteverrecorded.Estimatesofmethaneemissionsaresubjecttoahighdegreeofuncertainty,butthemostrecentcomprehensiveassessment–providedintheGlobalMethaneBudget–suggeststhatannualglobalmethaneemissionsarearound580Mt.Theseincludesemissionsfromnaturalsources(around40%ofemissions),andth...
The concentration of methane in the atmosphere is currently around two-and-a-half times greater than its pre-industrial levels. The increase has accelerated in recent years, and preliminary analysis[1] indicates 2021’s rise is likely to be amongst the largest ever recorded.
Estimates of methane emissions are subject to a high degree of uncertainty, but the most recent comprehensive assessment – provided in the Global Methane Budget – suggests that annual global methane emissions are around 580 Mt. These includes emissions from natural sources (around 40% of emissions), and the remaining 60% which originate from human activity, known as anthropogenic emissions.
The largest anthropogenic source is agriculture, responsible for around one quarter of emissions, closely followed by the energy sector, which includes emissions from coal, oil, natural gas and biofuels.
References preliminary analysis (climate.copernicus.eu)