NASA's head, Bill Nelson, expressed hope on Tuesday that nations will collaborate more closely in the future on issues such as climate change, especially greenhouse gas emissions.

Solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are quickly warming the world and driving the climate problem, already exist, but they need significant adjustments on a massive scale and pace.

"This is something that nations can work on jointly since the information is there," Nelson said in Mexico City when asked how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. "It is critical that we act on it."

Satellites have developed as useful instruments for scientists all around the world to research climate change and, increasingly, locate the source of greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane leaks, that would otherwise go undiscovered.

Nelson explained that satellites were continually collecting climate data, and NASA was working to make this data available and teach people on how to use it.

Methane, the primary component of natural gas, is the second-leading cause of global warming after carbon dioxide. Satellite data allows scientists to locate the source of significant methane leaks.

It is a far more powerful driver of global warming in the near run than carbon dioxide because it traps more heat in the atmosphere per ton.

"Our concerns are global," stated NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. "It's critical to acknowledge that no single country can handle that problem alone."

Earlier in the day, Nelson and Melroy, both astronauts, met with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and politicians to examine how the countries may collaborate.