Methane Alert And Response System (MARS):
The Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) was launched at the COP27 to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
- Methane (CH4) accounts for a small portion of human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to carbon dioxide (CO2), but it is 80 times more potent GHG than CO2.
- According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world must cut methane emissions by at least 30 % by 2030 – the goal of the Global Methane Pledge – to keep the 1.5°C temperature limit within reach.
- MARS is a part of global efforts to slow climate change by tackling global warming gas.
- The data-to-action platform was set up as part of the UNEP International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) strategy to get policy-relevant data into the right hands for emissions mitigation.
- The system will be the first publicly available global system to connect methane detection to notification processes transparently.
- It will use state-of-the-art satellite data to identify significant emission events, notify relevant stakeholders, and support and track mitigation progress.