Summary
This 2021 Nature Geoscience synthesis consolidates published evidence indicating that aquatic ecosystems contribute approximately 50% of global methane emissions, substantially exceeding prior greenhouse gas inventory estimates. The authors highlight marked heterogeneity in emissions across ecosystem types, regions, and seasons as a significant challenge for national greenhouse gas accounting and climate monitoring. The findings suggest that aquatic methane emissions warrant substantially greater integration into climate policy and emissions accounting frameworks, though considerable uncertainty remains owing to methodological variability across source datasets.
Regional applicability
UK freshwater and coastal ecosystems (lakes, rivers, estuaries) likely contribute meaningfully to national greenhouse gas inventories in ways not currently fully captured. The findings support integration of aquatic methane emissions into UK climate policy frameworks and environmental monitoring protocols, particularly for carbon accounting and net-zero commitments.
Key measures
Global methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems as a proportion of total anthropogenic methane; spatial and temporal variability in emissions across ecosystem types and regions
Outcomes reported
The study synthesised published evidence on methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems (lakes, rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters) to quantify their contribution to global greenhouse gas budgets. The authors documented marked heterogeneity in emissions across ecosystem types, regions, and seasons.
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