Methane is a potent GHG but relatively short lived min read

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) but relatively short lived in comparison to other GHGs.

Methane is a potent GHG but relatively short lived

When methane is emitted, it contributes to additional warming as it’s a more potent GHG than CO₂.

Over 20 years, methane is 80 times more potent at warming the atmosphere than CO₂ but has a half-life of 10-12 years compared to centuries of other GHGs.

This means methane is responsible more for near-term climate change, but it also means that strategies that reduce methane, like improving efficiency and low methane additives, can give us faster climate mitigation in the short term.