A review of new research suggests the true climate impact of methane is not currently being reflected because current metrics don’t recognize that it breaks down in the atmosphere over the course of 12 years. Other greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide released from the burning of fossil fuels, can remain in the atmosphere for hundreds of years.
The research review, commissioned by Global Dairy Platform (GDP) and other farming, academic, and non-governmental organizations, examined Global Warming Potential* (GWP*), a new method for determining the warming impact of methane. GWP* was developed by a global group of climate scientists with leading authors from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.