Increased methane emissions of 2 to 35 million metric tonnes annually require stricter globally targets

Due to the decrease in sulfur content in the air, naturally released methane from peatlands, wetlands, and marshlands has unexpectedly increased. This result has shown up in research in the journal Science Advances. The research states that clean air policies lowered sulfur emissions globally, but the effect of the increase in temperature could not slow the production of methane in the marshlands.

According to research, 2 to 35 million metric tons of additional methane is being emitted from wetlands every year. Methane, which is one of the most effective greenhouse gases that retain heat in the atmosphere, is produced in wetlands around the world.

Sulfur has a significant impact on natural wetlands that limit methane emissions. On the other hand, CO2 promotes the growth of plants that provide food for methane-producing microorganisms, thereby increasing methane production. According to the researchers, an unintended consequence of effective policies designed to reduce atmospheric sulfur was that sulfur's effect on inhibiting methane production in wetlands was lost. This effect was further intensified by rising CO2 levels, causing emissions to double.

The researchers advise that the climatic complexity must be understood because the biogeochemical processes in the climatic system were underappreciated in the future projection of methane emissions. The research enforces the call to look at all the above elements in a serious light to see the potential effects of greenhouse gases. This means tightening current global goals to reduce methane emissions.