Whalesbook
UN Expands Methane Watch to Coal Mines and Waste
The United Nations Environment Programme's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) is significantly expanding its Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). This move extends satellite-based methane monitoring to coal mines and waste management facilities, shifting beyond its main focus on oil and gas operations. The expansion, noted on May 4, 2026, follows studies showing landfills are major sources of methane, with two sites in India identified among the top three highest-emitting globally.
MARS uses data from over 30 satellites to find "super-emitters," which are large methane sources visible from space. Alerts go to countries and industries to encourage quick action to cut emissions. Until now, the system focused on oil and gas sites in the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0). Commitments from national oil companies in Angola, Libya, and Pakistan mean OGMP 2.0 now covers almost half of global oil and gas output. This expansion to coal and waste significantly widens the system's reach.
Satellite Tech Advances Methane Tracking
The expansion highlights the growing importance of satellite methane detection. Other groups involved include Carbon Mapper, which uses imaging spectrometers to find and pinpoint emissions at specific sites, and MethaneSAT, designed for measuring emissions across regions and countries. These efforts are crucial as methane, a greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than CO2 in the short term, is a key focus for climate action. Since its 2022 launch, MARS has led to 41 actions to reduce emissions across 11 countries, stopping emissions equal to millions of cars each year. However, how well MARS alerts are acted upon is a concern, with only about 12% receiving follow-up action as of late 2025. This indicates a large gap between finding leaks and fixing them.
Coal and Waste: New Methane Targets
Adding coal mines targets a sector where data is scarce and emissions can be high. Globally, coal operations release large amounts of methane, with ventilation systems being a primary source in underground mines. While global coal production is expected to stay relatively flat in 2026, with slight growth only in India and China, its emissions are facing more environmental focus. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that over half of coal mine methane emissions could be reduced using current technology.
Meanwhile, the waste management sector is growing strongly, driven by growing cities and stricter landfill rules. The global waste management market is projected to exceed $2.3 trillion by 2033, driven by more waste and efforts to reuse materials. Companies like Waste Management Inc. (WM) are major players, with a market value near $92 billion and a P/E ratio of about 30-34 in mid-2026. The sector benefits from tougher rules on diverting waste from landfills and emission limits, leading to demand for better waste processing and energy recovery methods.
Challenges Remain: Slow Responses Hamper Progress
Despite technological advances and increased monitoring, major challenges remain. Detected "super-emitters" are only a fraction of total emissions, meaning the true scale of the problem is likely larger. Also, the low response rate to MARS alerts suggests that governments and industries often don't act fast enough after leaks are detected. Turkmenistan and Venezuela, for instance, show very high methane emission intensities, often due to old equipment and weak oversight. The market for methane reduction technology is expected to grow significantly, driven by regulations and environmental goals. But making the economics work for smaller companies and ensuring proven reduction methods are consistently used need more focus and teamwork. For MARS to be effective, alerts must lead to real actions, which requires more commitment from governments and industries.