This year, scientists are emphasizing the importance of focusing on methane as a powerful greenhouse gas in order to prevent catastrophic global warming. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report urging countries to make significant and sustained reductions in methane emissions, in addition to cutting CO2 emissions. This plea may be concerning for countries that rely on natural gas as a cleaner alternative to coal, as well as for countries with significant agriculture and livestock industries, particularly cattle. Despite both methane and CO2 contributing to warming the atmosphere, they are not equivalent in their impact. A methane molecule has a more immediate impact on warming than a CO2 molecule, but CO2 remains in the atmosphere for much longer. The recent IPCC report emphasizes the urgency of reducing methane emissions, as it is the most effective and efficient way to slow down global warming. The current global temperature is already 1.1C higher than preindustrial levels due to emissions from the industrial era. The report suggests that if pollution had not been reflecting some of the sun's radiation back into space, the world would have experienced an additional 0.5C of warming. As the world moves away from fossil fuels and addresses air pollution, the aerosols causing this reflection will disappear, potentially causing temperatures to rise. The rapid reduction of methane emissions could help offset this effect and improve air quality, according to IPCC report summary author Maisa Rojas Corradi. Methane emissions are responsible for about 30% of warming since the pre-industrial era on a global scale, as stated by the United Nations. The IPCC had not previously addressed the impact of methane, aerosols, and other short-lived climate pollutants until now. “The report highlights the immediate advantages of significant decreases in methane, not only in terms of atmospheric levels but also the positive impacts on human health due to improved air quality,” stated Jane Lubchenco, deputy director for climate and environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Recent advancements in technology and research indicate that methane emissions from oil and gas production, landfills, and livestock may have been underestimated. The report emphasizes the need for countries involved in oil and gas production to integrate aggressive methane reduction plans into their climate strategies, according to Mark Brownstein, senior vice president of energy at Environmental Defense Fund. Addressing emissions from landfills and energy companies may be more feasible, while tackling methane emissions from large-scale agriculture poses a greater challenge due to the lack of scaled-up replacement technology.” The EU and the United States are planning to introduce new laws to require oil and gas companies to monitor and report methane emissions, as well as fix any leaks. These regulations are expected to be stricter than those implemented by the Obama administration and subsequently repealed by Donald Trump. Despite the US and EU being responsible for a significant portion of global natural gas consumption, countries like Brazil and Russia, with lax regulations on oil and gas production and agriculture, are also likely to be significant methane emitters according to IPCC co-author Paulo Artaxo. He noted the challenges in accurately measuring methane leakage from gas and oil wells. If nations do not actively search for it, they will not discover the issue. Environmental organizations and government authorities are pushing for a worldwide pact on methane, similar to the Montreal Protocol that addressed ozone depletion. This agreement could initially focus on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, as they already possess the necessary technology to reduce these emissions, according to Armond Cohen, executive director of the Clean Air Task Force, a climate technology group based in Boston. Cohen stated that addressing this issue does not require advanced technology. "So, let's begin from that point."