How can better data speed up the fight against methane, a gas that strongly warms the planet? A report from the United Nations Environment Programme, released in late 2023, tackles that question. The document, called An Eye on Methane, is the third annual report of the International Methane Emissions Observatory. It argues that a data revolution is under way that could sharply speed up efforts to cut methane worldwide. Credible measurements, the authors stress, can create the openness that fast climate action requires.
Yet data alone changes nothing, the report warns. Figures from different sources must be reconciled, integrated and placed in the hands of organisations that can act on them. The study therefore gives decision makers a practical framework for tracking emissions and planning ambitious, targeted mitigation. It also points to supporting initiatives, including the Methane Alert and Response System and a partnership with oil and gas companies.