Yale Experts Explain Methane Emissions
As a greenhouse gas, methane is 80 times more potent than CO2 in the first 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere. Last year, methane emissions rose faster than at any time in recorded history, imperiling efforts to limit global warming by mid-century.
Cutting methane emissions quickly offers the fastest route to slowing the rate of global climate change, which is why nations gathering this month for the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan are focused on measuring progress on the methane-reduction commitments they have made over the past three years.
Peter Raymond is the senior associate dean of research and doctoral studies at Yale School of the Environment and helped produce the Global Methane Budget 2024, which documented how methane emissions are accelerating at their fastest rate ever recorded.
Steven Hamburg ’77 M.F.S., ’84 Ph.D. is senior vice president and chief scientist at Environmental Defense Fund and executive manager of MethaneSAT, a satellite launched in March 2024 that makes high-precision measurements of methane and carbon dioxide emissions from human activity around the world.
In a Q&A, Raymond and Hamburg discuss how methane is accelerating global warming, how cutting emissions could help stabilize our climate, and whether you should ditch your gas-burning stove. This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
Read the full interview at: https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-methane-emissions