Repository of Empirical Methane Emissions for Data Integration (REMEDI)

An increasing amount of empirical methane data is being published, drawing on a variety of measurement platforms. However, efforts to track global methane emissions are hampered by fragmentation and scale inconsistency in these diverse data streams. Integrating empirical data across scales and sensor technologies is essential to reveal an accurate picture of emissions, support effective mitigation, monitor progress and drive accountability across anthropogenic activities. Methane data processing consists of compiling and standardizing fragmented measurements collected worldwide. To-date, no  comprehensive methane data repository exists. To address this challenge, UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) is developing a new Repository of Empirical Methane Emissions for Data Integration (hereafter REMEDI), a dedicated database designed as a one-stop-shop for using and exchanging empirical, science-grade methane emissions measurements.

REMEDI is a geospatially referenced repository that compiles methane emission data derived from a variety of scientific activities, such as satellite remote sensing, aerial surveys, ground-based measurements, and mobile campaigns globally. The system accommodates diverse data types spanning multiple spatial scales—from facility-level point sources to basin-scale flux estimates—while preserving metadata necessary for uncertainty characterization, temporal attribution, and methodological traceability. Data ingested into REMEDI undergo pre-screening by IMEO to ensure that all data fit pre-defined eligibility criteria.

While containing only methane emission flux rates based on empirical measurements at site level and beyond (e.g., basin or country level), REMEDI does not consider data from super-emitters thus is complementary to IMEO’s flagship Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) where satellite imagery is used to pinpoint highly emissive sources. The first version of REMEDI, focusing on peer-reviewed data, is available through UNEP’s Eye on Methane platform and aims to support the future of methane data integration products. By filtering empirical measurements according to locations and source types among others, this new repository provides a standardized data backbone and enables users to comparatively mine diverse input streams. This presentation will describe REMEDI’s data architecture, ingestion and review processes, an overview of its content, and potential applications.