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National quantifications of methane emissions from fuel exploitation using high resolution inversions of satellite observations

Author

Listed:
  • Lu Shen

    (Peking University)

  • Daniel J. Jacob

    (Harvard University)

  • Ritesh Gautam

    (Environmental Defense Fund)

  • Mark Omara

    (Environmental Defense Fund)

  • Tia R. Scarpelli

    (University of Edinburgh)

  • Alba Lorente

    (Harvard University)

  • Daniel Zavala-Araiza

    (Environmental Defense Fund
    Utrecht University)

  • Xiao Lu

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Zichong Chen

    (Harvard University)

  • Jintai Lin

    (Peking University)

Abstract

Reducing methane emissions from fossil fuel exploitation (oil, gas, coal) is an important target for climate policy, but current national emission inventories submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are highly uncertain. Here we use 22 months (May 2018-Feb 2020) of satellite observations from the TROPOMI instrument to better quantify national emissions worldwide by inverse analysis at up to 50 km resolution. We find global emissions of 62.7 ± 11.5 (2σ) Tg a−1 for oil-gas and 32.7 ± 5.2 Tg a−1 for coal. Oil-gas emissions are 30% higher than the global total from UNFCCC reports, mainly due to under-reporting by the four largest emitters including the US, Russia, Venezuela, and Turkmenistan. Eight countries have methane emission intensities from the oil-gas sector exceeding 5% of their gas production (20% for Venezuela, Iraq, and Angola), and lowering these intensities to the global average level of 2.4% would reduce global oil-gas emissions by 11 Tg a−1 or 18%.

Suggested Citation

  • Lu Shen & Daniel J. Jacob & Ritesh Gautam & Mark Omara & Tia R. Scarpelli & Alba Lorente & Daniel Zavala-Araiza & Xiao Lu & Zichong Chen & Jintai Lin, 2023. "National quantifications of methane emissions from fuel exploitation using high resolution inversions of satellite observations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-40671-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40671-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Benjamin Hmiel & V. V. Petrenko & M. N. Dyonisius & C. Buizert & A. M. Smith & P. F. Place & C. Harth & R. Beaudette & Q. Hua & B. Yang & I. Vimont & S. E. Michel & J. P. Severinghaus & D. Etheridge &, 2020. "Preindustrial 14CH4 indicates greater anthropogenic fossil CH4 emissions," Nature, Nature, vol. 578(7795), pages 409-412, February.
    2. Stefan Schwietzke & Owen A. Sherwood & Lori M. P. Bruhwiler & John B. Miller & Giuseppe Etiope & Edward J. Dlugokencky & Sylvia Englund Michel & Victoria A. Arling & Bruce H. Vaughn & James W. C. Whit, 2016. "Upward revision of global fossil fuel methane emissions based on isotope database," Nature, Nature, vol. 538(7623), pages 88-91, October.
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