Satellite Hunt for Superpollutant Receives $100 Million Boost
Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced an additional $100 million investment to intensify global efforts in detecting and reducing methane emissions, one of the most powerful contributors to climate change.
Expanding Satellite Monitoring
The funding will enhance satellite-based tracking systems and support nations in developing policies to control the release of methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the heat-trapping capacity of carbon dioxide during its first two decades in the atmosphere.
Global Effort Ahead of COP30
The initiative was unveiled in Brazil, where world leaders are meeting ahead of the COP30 climate summit. It reinforces the growing international commitment to addressing methane emissions as a key front in the climate crisis.
Data Transparency and Industrial Response
Corporations, environmental organizations, and philanthropic groups have been stepping up surveillance using both satellites and handheld cameras. More of the resulting data is now being released publicly, helping identify major leaks and prompting some polluters to begin corrective action.
“The challenge now is to scale up action globally,” said Riley Duren, chief executive officer and founder of Carbon Mapper, a non-profit that uses satellite and aerial data to detect methane. He added that there is still a “gap between data and action on methane emissions.”
Author’s Summary
The $100 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies fuels a worldwide push to track and curb methane emissions through advanced satellite monitoring and policy support.