How UNEP & IMEO Use AI to Track Methane Emissions

In July 2026, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged faster climate action, UNEP and IMEO leveraged AI satellite technology to monitor methane emissions. Nowadays, AI is being utilized across a wide range of applications, from streamlining administrative tasks to monitoring emissions and ecosystems. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), reducing methane emissions offers one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to slow global warming. This seems to be a critical focus, as the United Nations (UN) attributes approximately one-third of current global warming to methane. To tackle this ongoing challenge, the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) has leveraged AI to process vast volumes of satellite data, thus enabling governments and industries to identify and mitigate methane emissions in a far more efficient manner.  By blending AI, advanced technology, and sustainable practices, IMEO is transforming environmental monitoring and driving global climate action.

IMEO has integrated AI into its Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) to significantly improve detection and monitoring capabilities. The system ingests data from more than 30 satellite instruments, enabling it to analyze more than 1.3 million satellite measurements, a volume that would be impossible to review manually. By filtering these immense datasets, AI highlights potential methane emission events that require expert review. Human analysts then verify every single AI-generated detection, ensuring scientific accuracy and reliability throughout the entire process. This human-in-the-loop approach allows IMEO to process 12 to 15 times more data while maintaining rigorous standards.

While AI offers immense potential, UNEP recognizes that these systems require energy, water, critical minerals, and computing resources, making sustainability a vital consideration during development. Consequently, IMEO prioritizes AI tools that deliver measurable environmental benefits while minimizing resource consumption. By balancing the environmental costs of AI against the climate benefits of faster methane detection and mitigation, IMEO demonstrates that advanced technology can support climate action without creating unnecessary environmental impacts. Looking ahead, IMEO continues to expand its use of AI to enhance methane monitoring, data integration, and climate decision-making. By combining satellite observations, scientific research, and industry reporting, the organization creates high-quality datasets that strengthen AI performance and improve overall transparency. Furthermore, AI supports the verification of methane mitigation by confirming whether emissions have ceased after corrective action is taken.

Impact on the AI Market

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases that are driving climate change, and is responsible for nearly 30% of global warming since pre-industrial times. Rapid identification and mitigation of methane emissions is therefore a critical component of global climate strategies. However, detecting methane emission sources at a global scale remains quite challenging due to the large volume of satellite data, atmospheric variability, and the complexity of distinguishing real emissions from background noise. This is where artificial intelligence comes into the picture.

Turning the rapidly growing volume of methane data into targeted action that delivers these benefits remains a major challenge. MARS addresses this challenge by integrating data from more than 30 satellite instruments and using AI models to distinguish methane emissions, such as leaks from oil and gas facilities, from environmental noise. The system is also currently expanding to additional sectors beyond oil and gas, including coal and waste.

Impact on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Oil and Gas Market

The global artificial intelligence (AI) in oil and gas market size was valued at USD 7.64 billion in 2025, calculated at USD 8.73 billion in 2026, and is expected to reach around USD 28.12 billion by 2035. The market is expanding at a solid CAGR of 13.92% over the forecast period 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the future demand for artificial intelligence in the oil and gas industry is expected to expand as companies are using AI for predictive maintenance, reservoir management, and drilling optimization. Edge computing and machine learning are emerging technologies that deliver operational efficiency, safety, and real-time decision-making in complex environments, which accelerate the digital transformation process and reduce carbon footprints.

By analyzing and interpreting this data, AI systems can help oil and gas companies make informed decisions, predict equipment failures, optimize production processes, reduce operational costs, and mitigate environmental risks, ultimately leading to increased profitability and sustainability in the industry. The AI in the oil and gas industry is being driven by several factors, such as rising collaborations, increasing product launches, increasing operational efficiency, rising government initiatives, and growing technological advancements.

Impact on the Environmental Technology Market

The global environmental technology market size was estimated at USD 646.80 billion in 2025 and is anticipated to reach around USD 996.49 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 4.42% from 2026 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, the rising investments and implementation of non-conventional sources of energy, increased awareness about sustainable energy due to growing negative impacts of pollution leading to significant health risks, and stringent government regulations are driving the growth of the environmental technology market.

The integration of AI in healthcare fabrics helps in monitoring the health and vitals of the wearer. Sensors embedded in smart fabrics can be applied for tracking physiological data such as heart rate and body temperature. AI algorithms and deep learning tools assist in analyzing real-time data for providing insights, for quick response in emergencies, and in risk stratification. Furthermore, the use of cloud storage solutions for storing data in an easily accessible, shareable format and the application of predictive models for scaling this data, thereby providing AI models and data scientists with an adaptive database for enhanced analysis, swift recovery, and improved convenience.

About the UN Environment Program (UNEP)

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP is at the forefront of methane emissions reduction in line with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global temperature rise well below 2°C. UNEP’s work revolves around two pillars: data and policy. UNEP supports companies and governments across the globe to use its unique global database of empirically verified methane emissions to target strategic mitigation actions and support science-based policy options through the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO). UNEP also fosters high-level commitments through advocacy work and supports countries to implement measures that reduce methane emissions through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC). Both initiatives are core implementers of the Global Methane Pledge.