Increase in atmospheric methane sets new record in 2021: US

WASHINGTON: For the second year running, US scientists observed record increases in the atmospheric concentration of the potent greenhouse gas methane, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said Thursday.

Methane, the second biggest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, is generated by the production, transport and use of fossil fuels, but also from the decay of organic matter in wetlands, and as a byproduct of ruminant digestion in agriculture.

At last year's COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, participants agreed to a Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 — but notable emitters including China, Russia, Iran and India have not signed on.

“Our data show that global emissions continue to move in the wrong direction at a rapid pace,” said NOAA administrator Rick Spinrad in a statement.

The annual increase in atmospheric methane during 2021 was 17 parts per billion (ppb), the largest rise recorded since systematic measurements began in 1983, said NOAA. Across 2021, atmospheric methane levels averaged 1,895.7 ppb, around 162 percent greater than pre-industrial levels. “We can no longer afford to delay urgent and effective action needed to address the cause of the problem — greenhouse gas pollution,” Spinrad warned.