Methane content is now increasing at a record pace

Atmospheric according to a new study, the increase in methane concentration has accelerated over the past decade, says Department of Meteorology. In the years 2020‒2022, growth has been faster than ever since 1986, when global measurements began.

“The increase in the measured concentration follows the most pessimistic greenhouse gas development scenarios of the intergovernmental climate panel IPCC, according to which the global average temperature would rise by more than three degrees Celsius by the end of this century,” says a senior researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute in the press release Aki Tsuruta.

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas produced by human activity after carbon dioxide, and it plays a key role in human-caused global warming.

The study found that methane emissions from fossil fuels, agriculture and waste processing have continued to increase.

“Methane emissions caused by human activity are now 20 percent higher than two decades ago.”

Emissions caused by cows and other ruminants increased by 14 percent in the period from the beginning of the millennium to 2020. In the same period, emissions from landfills and other waste management increased by 24 percent. Emissions from the production and use of fossil fuels increased by an estimated 18–28 percent, depending on the calculation method.

About a third of global methane emissions come from natural sources such as wetlands or geological sources.

The Finnish Meteorological Institute was involved in an international research project that creates an overall picture of the amount of methane and other greenhouse gases. The researchers of the Finnish Meteorological Institute participated in the study by producing measurements of the methane concentration in the atmosphere and by making estimates of methane emissions based on measurements and mathematical modeling.