Methane concentration in the atmosphere hits record in 2021, reveals the UN

by

The concentration of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, rose to record levels in the atmosphere last year, as did COtwo and nitrogen oxide – revealed the UN this Wednesday (26).

In a statement, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) explained that the reason for this exceptional increase in the concentration of methane, which has a much more powerful effect than COtwobut less lasting, “is unclear, but appears to be a result of biological and human-induced processes”.

These figures reveal “once again the enormous challenge — and vital need — for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent global temperatures from rising further,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

On the same day, the UN Climate Change office warned that the latest international commitments are “a long way off” from meeting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to +1.5°C.

“We’re going in the wrong direction,” Taalas said.

In 2020 and 2021, the concentration of methane — the second largest contributor to global warming — increased by 15 and 18 parts per billion (ppb), respectively. It is difficult to determine the origin of emissions, because the sources and “sinks” that absorb the gas can be confused, explains the WMO.

“There are cost-effective strategies to tackle methane emissions, particularly in the fossil fuel sector, and we must put them into practice without delay,” he insisted.

Because?

There has been a lot of discussion about methane lately, especially after the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline and the so-called cattle flatulence tax proposed in New Zealand.

On Tuesday (25), NASA (the American space agency) revealed that it had detected dozens of methane “super emitters” from space, places usually related to waste treatment or agriculture.

As for the continuous progression of methane concentration in the atmosphere since 2007, scientists are not sure, but consider that “it comes largely from biogenic sources, such as swamps, or rice fields”.

It is still too early to say whether the increases in 2020 and last year are due to the faster decomposition of organic matter in the water under the effect of increased heat, or to episodes of the La Niña phenomenon, which created favorable conditions for the emission of methane, as precipitation increases in tropical regions.

Taalas stresses, however, that the enemy to defeat, above all, is carbon dioxide.

“The absolute priority is to drastically and urgently reduce carbon dioxide emissions, which are the main cause of climate change and the associated extreme weather events”, warned the WMO Secretary-General, adding that these emissions will have repercussions on the climate for thousands of years. years with melting ice at the poles, warming oceans and rising sea levels.

In 2021, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached 415.7 parts per million (ppm); methane at 1,908 parts per billion (ppb); and nitrogen oxide at 334.5 ppb, which represents a progression of 149%, 262% and 124%, respectively, compared to the pre-industrial era.

The global emissions of COtwo increased again since the end of confinements by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Between 2011 and 2020, approximately 48% of total CO emissionstwo linked to human activities accumulated in the atmosphere; 26%, in the oceans; and 29%, in the terrestrial biosphere.

“There is concern that terrestrial ecosystems and oceans are less effective in their role as ‘sinks’, which would reduce their ability to absorb carbon dioxide and prevent a sharper rise in temperature,” the WMO said, adding that, in certain regions of the world, sinks of COtwo are turning into sources of gas.

You May Also Like

Recommended for you