An international Earth System modeling collaboration.
About the simulationsMethane is a potent greenhouse gas that has contributed substantially to observed climate change. Methane emissions also harm human and ecosystem health by increasing ground level ozone pollution. MethaneMIP uses coordinated Earth System Model experiments to quantify the climate, air quality and health benefits of plausible methane emission reductions over the coming decades.
Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, responsible for roughly 0.5 °C of observed global warming to date. Its short atmospheric lifetime of about a decade means that reducing emissions can quickly slow the rate of warming. Meeting the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 2 °C is not possible without methane mitigation. Each million tonnes of methane emitted contributes to thousands of premature deaths through increased surface ozone.
More about methane →Methane emissions come from both natural and human sources. Approximately 60% of global methane emissions are caused by human activities. The largest contributors are agriculture, especially livestock, the energy industry including oil, gas and coal mining, and waste, including landfills and wastewater treatment. Natural sources account for the remaining 40% and may strengthen under climate change, partially blurring the boundaries between natural and human influenced sources.
More about emissions →The Global Methane Pledge aims to reduce methane emissions from human activity by 30% by 2030 relative to 2020 levels, and there are plausible roadmaps for achieving it. Technical measures that are already available, many of them cheap or profitable, can reduce emissions by up to 50%. Examples include leak repair and appropriate flaring in the oil and gas sector, feed additives for cattle, and diversion of organic matter from landfill.
More about mitigation →The role of MethaneMIP
MethaneMIP is designed to quantify the magnitude and timing of the climate and health benefits of methane mitigation across state of the art Earth System Models. Every participating group prescribes identical methane pathways, branches from the same baseline scenario, and runs enough ensemble members to separate the mitigation signal from internal variability.
The project explores the effects of substantial methane reductions over the coming decades on the atmospheric circulation, the cryosphere, atmospheric chemistry, air pollution, human health and vegetation.
MethaneMIP is an official CMIP6Plus initiative, the interim phase for community led experiments between CMIP6 and CMIP7. Non-CO2 mitigation has been identified as a priority for the Seventh Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the project is designed to speak directly to that assessment.
Methane mitigation has nonetheless been overlooked relative to other climate strategies. Around 2% of global climate finance is directed at methane abatement, roughly ten times less than meeting current methane targets would require.
Slashing emissions of methane is the single fastest way to tackle climate change in the short term.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme
We are glad to hear from researchers, policymakers and organizations working on methane mitigation, whether you have a question about the project, would like to take part, or want to know more.