Source: Nature
A blind test of twelve methane-detecting satellites provides the first systematic credibility check on orbital emissions monitoring. As companies and governments increasingly stake methane reduction commitments on satellite data—cheaper and more accessible than ground networks—independent validation determines whether these measurements can enforce climate targets or remain convenient fictions. The difference between "satellites can see methane" and "satellites reliably measure methane in ways regulators can trust" is the difference between a monitoring tool and functional climate governance.