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Climate feedback from wetland emissions of methane may necessitate larger anthropogenic reductions to stay within 1.5°C or 2.0°C warming
  • Rona L. Thompson
Rona L. Thompson
Norwegian Institute for Air Research

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

In 2020, global atmospheric methane (CH4) levels increased by 14.7 parts-per-billion (ppb) - the largest annual increase since atmospheric records began in 1983 (https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2742/Despite-pandemic-shutdowns-carbon-dioxide-and-methane-surged-in-2020) continuing an upward trend since 2007. This is concerning since CH4 is the second most important long-lived greenhouse after CO2 and has global warming potential 28 times that of CO2 per unit mass on a 100-year time scale (Myhre et al. 2013). Moreover, pathways to limit global warming to 1.5°C, or even 2.0°C, require non-CO2 emissions and, in particular, CH4 emissions, to be reduced by 35% with respect to 2010 levels by 2050 (Forster et al. 2018).