IMEO designs, funds and leads scientific studies worldwide to understand and quantify how much methane is released into the atmosphere, where emissions come from, and how they change over time.
Study results, published only in peer-reviewed scientific journals, provide critical information for governments and companies to make informed decisions and take effective action to mitigate methane emissions.
IMEO has launched dozens of studies across nearly 20 countries. All are conducted by academic researchers and scientists. Additional information on each is available below and in the Eye on Methane data platform.
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Initial IMEO methane science studies have successfully filled key knowledge gaps, including by providing the first empirical studies of offshore oil and gas infrastructure and liquefied natural gas facilities, as well as research campaigns in regions lacking empirical data.
Now, a new generation of satellites and monitoring approaches that provide policy-relevant data is creating new opportunities. IMEO’s scientific efforts have evolved to capitalize on these changes. While initial studies sought to obtain a basic understanding of emissions in regions without reliable data, all studies now prioritize four main objectives.
- Develop data integration approaches for multi-scale emissions data.
- Validation of measurement-based approaches.
- Initiate science studies in support of data assurance and to characterize regions/sources with high uncertainty or discrepancies in the integrated data.
- Advance science studies in support of countries targeting methane mitigation.
IMEO’s scientific focus has expanded from the oil and gas sector to include other major methane-emitting sources such as coal and waste. These studies build on UNEP’s prior work in the framework of the Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).
Call for proposals
IMEO identifies the need for research and opens a call for proposals. IMEO welcomes submissions for current calls for proposals, which can be found at the UNEP open proposals webpage.
Scientific Oversight Committee
The Scientific Oversight Committee guides and oversees IMEO's scientific activities, including overseeing estimation methodologies, recommending necessary studies, and ensuring there are no significant data gaps across studies.
The Scientific Oversight Committee is composed of prominent methane scientists and complemented by data experts. Its Chair guides the evaluation, initiation, and coordination of proposals for direct measurement studies of methane emissions around the world to obtain policy-relevant science.
Currently, Scientific Oversight Committee members include:
- Steve Hamburg, Chief Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund (Chair)
- Andrea Hinwood, Chief Scientist, UN Environment Programme
- Lena Hoglund Isaksson, Senior Research Scholar, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
- Shamil Maksyutov, Expert, National Institute for Environmental Studies
- Euan Nisbet, Professor, Royal Holloway University of London
- Paul Wenneberg, Professor, California Institute of Technology
Agriculture Subcommittee
The Agriculture Subcommittee to the SOC plays a key role in advising IMEO’s strategy and science activities related to methane emissions from the agriculture sector. The Subcommittee guides the development of IMEO’s agriculture strategy and provides scientific direction to IMEO’s studies that include agricultural methane sources.
Members of the Subcommittee bring different fields of scientific expertise and geographic engagement.Currently, Agriculture Subcommittee members include:
- Ngonidzashe Chirinda, Assistant Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University
- Mario Herrero, Professor, Cornell University
- Lutz Merbold, Head of Division, Agroscope
- Claudia Wagner-Riddle, Professor, University of Guelph
