Satellites can now spot methane leaks in real time: UNEP

NAIROBI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 25th Jul, 2026) Satellites can now spot major methane leaks from space within days. Yet only 13% of those alerts lead to any response from the governments or companies responsible.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) wants to close that gap. Last month it announced a new push – backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies – to help countries investigate and fix 80 per cent of major leaks detected by 2030. Currently, only 10 countries manage that.

Methane is responsible for around one-third of today's global warming. Unlike carbon dioxide, it remains in the atmosphere for a much shorter time, meaning that reducing emissions now can deliver climate benefits within years rather than decades.

“Carbon dioxide remains the principal driver of long-term warming. But it is also time to prioritize the cutting of methane,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Aggressive cuts could produce visible temperature relief within a generation.

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More than 60% of methane emissions come from human activities, primarily agriculture, fossil fuels and waste, with the fossil fuel sector offering the fastest and most cost-effective opportunities for reducing emissions.

UNEP's Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) uses satellite data to identify major methane leaks in near real time and alerts governments and operators so they can investigate and fix them.

Since launching in 2023, the system has issued more than 5,000 alerts across 33 countries, helping trigger more than 40 verified repairs.

Yet despite the technology's success, only 13% of alerts currently receive a response from the countries or operators notified.

“We can now see methane pollution as it happens, in near real time, from space” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen. “With this capability, inaction is not an oversight – it is a choice.”