Curbing methane emissions: How five industries can counter a major climate threat
McKinsey & CompanySep 23, 2021
Report: Global Methane Emissions Rose in 2023
The Facts
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported Wednesday that methane emissions levels reached near-record highs in 2023, climbing to more than 120M metric tons. Methane is reportedly responsible for roughly 30% of global warming.
Overall methane levels are close to the last record high reported in 2019, another 10M metric tons of which have been attributed to bioenergy, including biomass from cooking.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
While methane accounts for less global warming than CO2 emissions, its impact still plays a dangerous role in bringing the world toward the point of no return. The positive sign is that methane-producing industries such as coal, agriculture, and waste management can be overhauled to use less and save more. The solution is for companies to not only reduce their operations' own methane levels but also label the methane levels per unit so consumers can make environmentally-informed decisions when buying products.
Establishment-critical narrative
In their pursuit of lowering emissions like methane, the climate alarmist activists want to corporatize all the industries they say are leading to global warming. For instance, elites at the World Economic Forum conference this year referred to the coffee industry as "fragmented," which actually means they think the small, often middle-class or poor farmers around the world — as well as their land — should be taken over by big businesses. They want regular people — not the rich and powerful who fly private jetliners — to feel guilty for growing and consuming food.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that the global gigatons of CO2 equivalent methane emissions in 2050 will be at least 10.2, according to the Metaculus prediction community.