Chief Scientist to lead task force on monitoring Australia’s methane emissions

CANBERRA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) — Australia’s Chief Scientist has been appointed to lead an expert panel on making the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions more accurate.
Chris Bowen, the minister for Climate Change and Energy, on Monday announced that Cathy Foley will lead a new task force on monitoring the country’s emissions of methane.
The panel has been established in response to a 2023 review of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Scheme, the national framework for how greenhouse gas emissions are reported, conducted by the government’s Climate Change Authority.
The review found the scheme is performing well but made 25 recommendations for change, including adjustments to data transparency and the measurement of methane emissions.
Bowen said in a statement on Monday that the government has agreed in full or agreed in principle to 24 of the recommendations, including that a task force be set up to look at new approaches to measure methane emissions to ensure that Australia’s climate change data is accurate.
He said that Cathy Foley, who has served as Australia’s Chief Scientist since 2018, will lead the panel.
“Methane is among the world’s most powerful greenhouse gases. It is essential that our measurement approaches continue to improve, based on sound science and expert analysis,” Bowen said.
“By listening to the expert advice we are ensuring Australia remains a world leader in emission estimation, which is crucial to delivering emissions reductions as well as unlocking our potential as a renewable energy superpower.”
According to a report published by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in 2022, methane accounts for 26 percent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
The government in 2022 signed Australia up to the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary commitment to reducing methane emissions across all sectors by at least 30 percent from 2020 levels by 2030. ■