Methane levels are now over 2.5 times higher than pre-industrial levels, contributing around 0.5°C of warming in the 2010s—two-thirds as much as CO₂. Understanding and quantifying the global methane budget is important for assessing realistic pathways to mitigate climate change. A new paper, involving an international team of researchers including CMCC’s Sergio Noce, provides insight on global methane sources and sinks. From the little known role of termites to the costs and benefits of mitigating emissions, the Budget offers a comprehensive view of the geographical regions and economic sectors whose emissions have changed the most since 2000.

Across the globe, monsoon rainfall switches on in spring and off in autumn. Until now, this seasonal pattern was primarily understood as an immediate response to changes in solar radiation. A new study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows for the first time that the atmosphere can store moisture over extended periods, creating a physical memory effect. It allows monsoon systems to flip between two stable states. Disrupting this delicate balance, would have severe consequences for billions of people in India, Indonesia, Brazil and China.