MARS

[Mydhili S B]

Methane Alert and Response System (MARS)

The MARS was launched at the 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework convention on Climate change in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The data-to-action platform was set up as part of the UN Environment Programme ( 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.

Objectives:

MARS will integrate data from a large number of existing and future satellites that have the ability to detect methane emission events anywhere in the world, and send out notifications to the relevant stakeholders to act on it.

MARS will track the large point emission sources, mainly in the fossil fuel industry, but with time, would be able to detect emissions from coal, waste, livestock and rice fields as well.

[UPSC World]

Issues with methane:

• 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 to keep the 1.5°C temperature limit within reach.
  • It is also the goal of the Global Methane Pledge launched at COP (Conference of Parties) to catalyse action to reduce methane emissions.
  • It was led by the United States and the European Union. However, India is not part of it.