Methane Removal: A Critical Assessment and Research Agenda

It is now all but certain that we will surpass 1.5°C of global warming in the coming decade, making the urgency of achieving net zero greenhouse gases (GHGs) – which can lead to gradual temperature decline after a peak – more relevant than ever. In this context, methane (CH₄) mitigation plays a critical role: scenarios consistent with limiting warming to 2°C require CH₄ emissions reductions of circa 40% by 2040 (compared to 2019 levels); instead, global emissions continue to rise. Given that CH₄ is 80 times more potent a warmer than CO₂ over a 20-year time frame, proposals for Atmospheric Methane Removal (AMR) – analogous to Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), but for methane – have been increasing. At present there are no available technologies for AMR, making this an emerging area of research. While some scientists argue that we will need AMR in the future to meet our climate goals, others argue that, given the high expected costs, investing in methane mitigation and further CDR development would be a better use of scarce resources. This project will perform a critical assessment of potential AMR technologies, examining the possible advantages and risks of differing options. Based on this assessment, we will identify which approaches are most promising, and on this basis, articulate a research agenda for AMR to guide early-stage research on the topic. On this basis, the project seeks to inform and initiate exchange with relevant policy makers, particularly at the German federal level.

Participating Centers

Research Institute for Sustainability at GFZ (RIFS), GFZ Helmholtz Center for Geosciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)

Principal Investigators

Kathleen Mar (RIFS/GFZ), Ralf Sussmann (KIT/IMK-IFU)