earth science

International Methane Emissions Observatory

International Methane Emissions Observatory is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand International Methane Emissions Observatory rather than just read about it. In short: The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) of the UN Environment Programme is an initiative that tackles the problem of methane emissions through credible, measurement-based data. IMEO’s mission is to provide open, reliable and actionable data to the individuals who have the agency to reduce methane emissions.

Key takeaways

International Methane Emissions Observatory belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect International Methane Emissions Observatory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of International Methane Emissions Observatory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) of the UN Environment Programme is an initiative that tackles the problem of methane emissions through credible, measurement-based data. IMEO’s mission is to provide open, reliable and actionable data to the individuals who have the agency to reduce methane emissions. This data enables reductions at a global scale by identifying mitigation opportunities, focusing efforts and resources and tracking progress over time. IMEO collects, integrates and reconciles methane data from different sources, including scientific measurement studies, satellites, industry reporting through the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), the Steel Methane Programme (SMP) and national inventories. It was launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) at the G20 Leaders' Summit in 2021. Giulia Ferrini is the Head of IMEO. IMEO serves as an implementing vehicle for the Global Methane Pledge and has the European Commission as one of its founding members. Other core government supporters include Germany, Australia, Japan and Canada, alongside several philanthropies such as the Global Methane Hub, Google.org, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Bezos Earth Fund. IMEO produces the An Eye on Methane report series. Each annual report takes stock of global progress scaling data-driven methane solutions. IMEO provides open data access through Eye on Methane // GLOBAL.

Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) IMEO’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) is the first global system to provide free satellite-based alerts on major emission events to governments and companies. MARS integrates data from more than a dozen satellites to identify large emissions across the globe. UNEP sends alerts to enable action, and, through MARS, provides information and support for stakeholders to address the emissions. To date, MARS has enabled and confirmed mitigation of over 40 major methane sources. Each mitigation involved issuing a MARS notification, evaluating the response for technical accuracy and confirming through subsequent satellite data that no further emissions have been detected. Further information on each mitigation case is available here.

Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) UNEP’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) is the global methane standard for the oil and gas sector. It drives transparency and mitigation in the oil and gas sector through a five-tiered emissions reporting framework. OGMP 2.0 provides member companies a systematic way to monitor methane emissions and demonstrate reductions. Companies report methane emissions from all sources, from both operated and non-operated ventures across the oil and gas value chain, with increasing accuracy and granularity. IMEO collects companies’ data, ensures the completeness and integrity of their reporting and verifies progress toward targets. Launched in November 2020, OGMP 2.0 membership represents roughly 45% of global oil and gas production.

Methane Science Studies The goal of IMEO's scientific work is to improve the world’s understanding of where emissions come from and how much methane is emitted. IMEO commissions peer-reviewed studies to provide robust, publicly available data and improved methods for measurement to allow governments, industry, and other stakeholders to prioritize effective actions to assess and reduce methane emissions. The programme extends across all methane-emitting sectors and includes studies across more than 20 countries, as well as several global studies. All emissions data are released publicly and results of the studies are published in peer-reviewed journals. As the number and variety of measurement tools has grown, integrating methane data across sectors has become critical. IMEO also leads an effort to integrate and reconcile data from disparate sources to produce a comprehensive picture of methane emissions.

Steel Methane Programme IMEO’s Steel Methane Programme (SMP) targets emissions in the steel supply chain. More than 70 per cent of the world’s steel is produced using blast furnaces, which rely on met coal as a fuel and chemical reductant. Methane is released from coal seams during mining and processing and adds about on average a quarter to steel’s climate footprint. With the demand for steel set to persist and as an integral part of the transition towards low-carbon steel, mitigating methane emissions is critical to limit the impact of the steel industry on global warming under any decarbonization scenario.  SMP seeks to define the “Gold Standard” for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of methane emissions in the sector, and advance ambitious mitigation targets. This builds on IMEO’s success with the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0. 

IMEO's Eye on Methane // SUITE The UN Environment Programme's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO)'s Eye on Methane // SUITE is a set of tools that delivers open, reliable and actionable global methane emissions data from satellites, companies and methane science studies — all in one user-friendly interface. It is designed to empower governments and companies to drive impactful methane mitigation action, while providing transparent, reliable data to civil society and media. Eye on Methane // SUITE currently includes:

Eye on Methane // GLOBAL for media, researchers, policymakers and members of the public. Eye on Methane // INSIGHTS for governments and companies. Eye on Methane // GLOBAL is the public methane emissions data platform, integrating information from multiple sources to support mitigation efforts across governments, companies and civil society. It consolidates three primary data streams:

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with International Methane Emissions Observatory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what International Methane Emissions Observatory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to International Methane Emissions Observatory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about International Methane Emissions Observatory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of International Methane Emissions Observatory

In research: International Methane Emissions Observatory appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses International Methane Emissions Observatory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: International Methane Emissions Observatory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2021 establishments in France, Climate change organizations, Environmental monitoring, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for International Methane Emissions Observatory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study International Methane Emissions Observatory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what International Methane Emissions Observatory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain International Methane Emissions Observatory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is International Methane Emissions Observatory in simple terms?

Why does International Methane Emissions Observatory matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study International Methane Emissions Observatory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on International Methane Emissions Observatory.