Satellite Hunt for Superpollutant Wins $100 Million in New Funding
Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed an additional $100 million to the global effort to locate and curb methane emissions, a significant driver of climate change. The funding will expand satellite-based detection and help nations craft stronger policies to reduce this powerful greenhouse gas.
The initiative was announced Thursday as world leaders convened in Brazil ahead of the COP30 climate summit. It underscores an international push to address methane, a gas with over eighty times the short-term heat-trapping effect of carbon dioxide.
Environmental groups, companies, and charitable foundations are increasingly using satellites and portable imaging tools to identify visible methane plumes. More of this data is being made public, allowing for improved detection of major leaks and prompting early signs of corrective action among polluters.
“The challenge now is to scale up action globally,” said Riley Duren, chief executive officer and founder of Carbon Mapper, a nonprofit organization that analyzes satellite and aerial data to detect methane.
There’s a “gap between data and action on methane emissions,” he added.
Funding Impact and Outlook
- $100 million will strengthen methane monitoring systems worldwide.
- New satellite infrastructure will support transparency and accountability.
- Global collaboration aims to reduce methane’s impact before the COP30 summit.
Author’s summary: The $100 million Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative boosts global methane tracking, aiming to turn better data into faster, coordinated climate action.