Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term. Reducing methane emissions is one of the fastest ways to slow global warming but tracking sources and enforcing reductions have long been challenges. New satellites can help address these challenges. Thanks to a new generation of space-based instruments, satellites can detect methane leaks in real time, offering unprecedented transparency and accountability.

Our new report explains how policymakers are using satellite data to improve climate policies, enforce emissions regulations, and accelerate methane reduction efforts. The report is a collaboration of the UCLA Law Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment along with UC Berkeley Law’s Center for Law, Energy and the Environment (CLEE), and Frances Reuland (a satellite expert and independent author). It was supported, in part, by funding from the Global Methane Hub.

Read the full report here