Siberian Permafrost Thaw and Wildfires Threaten Global Climate Targets

Permafrost refers to the ground in cold regions that has stayed at a temperature below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least two consecutive years, and its melting could release a huge amount of greenhouse gas that pushes temperatures even higher.

Around 46 per cent of the northern hemisphere’s permafrost is in Siberia.

By 2050, higher methane emissions as a result of permafrost thaw and increasing wildfires in Siberia could offset 20 per cent of the global methane reduction required to meet our climate targets, according to the study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and published in the peer-reviewed journal Science on August 6.