MARS

MARS

News: Methane alert and response system (MARS), which utilizes space satellites, has identified 127 major methane plumes this year.

About:
• The Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) is a satellite-based monitoring system set up by the United Nations (UN) to track methane emissions and alert governments and corporations to respond.
• It was launched at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
• The system is the first publicly available global system to connect methane detection to notification processes transparently.

How does it work?
• MARS integrates data from a large number of existing and future satellites that can detect methane emission events anywhere in the world, and sends out notifications to the relevant stakeholders to act on it. It initially tracks large point emission sources, mainly in the fossil fuel industry, but with time, it would be able to detect emissions from coal, waste, livestock, and rice fields as well.

About International Methane Emissions Observatory:
• Unveiled at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in 2021, IMEO primarily targets methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry.
• IMEO integrates methane data from scientific studies, satellite observations via the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), thorough reporting by the industry under the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), and national emissions inventories.
• The OGMP 2.0 acts as UNEP’s leading programme, forming alliances with corporations to enhance the precision and openness of methane emission data within the oil and gas industry, supported by a dedicated framework.