At COP29, representatives from the European Commission, Germany, the United States and Australia reaffirmed their strong political and financial support to UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), implementing data driven solutions to catalyse methane reductions.
Since its launch at the G20 Summit in 2021, IMEO has become a core implementer of the Global Methane Pledge and has emerged as the leading and globally recognised entity for translating methane emissions data into action across multiple sectors.
IMEO’s government partners emphasised their support to advance IMEO’s mission:
EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson said:
'The increasing availability of data on methane emissions contributes to a new wave of transparency and accountability, which will incentivise both countries and companies to take action on their methane emissions.'
Parliamentary State Secretary for Climate, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Stefan Wenzel, said:
'Methane is a very aggressive greenhouse gas. However, it has one advantage: it is much easier to reduce than CO2. We have to use these low-hanging fruits. As we work towards our ambitious climate goals, we need every tool available to mitigate methane emissions effectively. UNEP’s IMEO is delivering precise, data-driven insights to enable swift action. Germany is committed to supporting these innovative measures, which demonstrate that with the right data, we can achieve substantial reductions and drive global climate progress. It is now up to the polluters to avoid methane slip as far as possible. The techniques for this are available. This is more than indicated in view of the ongoing global climate change'.
US Deputy Special Envoy for Climate, Rick Duke said:
'IMEO’s advancements in making invisible methane emissions visible, across the globe, has been transformative in illuminating opportunities to immediately slash methane emissions to achieve our climate goals.'
Australian Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Josh Wilson said:
'The Australian Government sees clearly the value of achieving methane emissions reduction including through the work of IMEO, and that is why we’re commissioning an Australian-based study to test a range of new atmospheric measurement approaches for estimating methane emissions from open-cut mining, and we’re creating an expert panel led by Australia’s Chief Scientist to advise on how such approaches could further improve fugitive methane emission estimation.'
IMEO has achieved big milestones since its establishment, including:
- More than doubling the membership of the globally-recognised Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) to over 140 member companies, representing today more than 40% of global oil and gas production and over 80% of global LNG flows. OGMP 2.0 is shifting the industry from estimated to credible, measurement data that is essential to understand, manage and mitigate emissions.
- Scaling up the use of satellite data for mitigation action through the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), enabling companies and governments to take prompt action thanks to the notifications and support of IMEO. UNEP’s IMEO announces its intention to expand MARS detections to include major methane emission events from metallurgical coal and landfills in 2025.
- Finalising 11 scientific studies around the world, resulting in the publication of 24 peer-reviewed scientific papers. 26 additional studies are ongoing with results due in 2025 and 2026 to offer detailed insights into emission profiles in high-emitting regions and guide mitigation efforts.
- Launching a refreshed Eye on Methane data platform, integrating data from OGMP 2.0 reporting, satellites and science studies to provide authoritative, actionable and policy-relevant insights on the world’s methane emissions that will contribute to the upcoming Methane Supply Index, informing fossil fuel purchases.
IMEO government partners call for urgent action by the broader international community to recognise methane reduction as a key part of an urgent climate solution and join in supporting IMEO’s efforts.
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Details
- Publication date
- 15 November 2024
- Author
- Directorate-General for Energy