There is a rapid expansion underway in the availability of atmospheric methane data. A suite of existing satellite-borne methane detection instruments — with more on the way — is measuring methane emissions in new ways, from new places, with new degrees of precision. However, most government regulators around the world working to control methane emissions do not yet fully understand this new data or what else is coming down the pike; what form(s) it will come in; how to access it; or how to best employ this data concretely in regulatory settings to maximize methane emission reductions. Although considerable work is being done at academic institutions and elsewhere to advance methane regulation generally, very few efforts are carefully examining the implications of this technological revolution for regulators.  

"Improving the Control of Methane Emissions Using Satellite Data" is the latest in a series by the UCLA Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. This paper is aimed at helping fill this gap by summarizing important information relevant to policymakers and assessing the ways that satellite data can support and enhance control of methane emissions. The paper highlights lessons from UCLA's Advancing Methane Regulations project and shares new case studies drawn from two jurisdictions, Colorado and Chubut, that are reforming their methane regulatory controls in ways designed to take advantage of advances in methane-detecting satellites. The paper shares opportunities to strengthen methane controls using data from satellites.  

Download the paper.