Record fossil gasoline manufacturing stored planet-heating methane emissions close to historic highs final 12 months, the International Energy Agency mentioned Wednesday, warning of a surge in huge leaks from oil and gasoline amenities.
Slashing emissions of methane — second solely to carbon dioxide for its contribution to world warming — is important to assembly worldwide targets on local weather change and one of many quickest methods to curb temperature rise.
But the IEA warned that international locations are significantly underestimating their power sector methane air pollution, estimating that emissions are round 80 p.c greater than the whole reported by governments to the United Nations.
The power sector is liable for round a 3rd of the methane emitted by human actions.
It leaks from gasoline pipelines and different power infrastructure, and can also be intentionally launched throughout tools upkeep.
Tackling that is thought-about one of many best methods to decrease emissions as a result of plugging leaks can typically be finished at little or no value.
“However, the latest data indicates that implementation on methane has continued to fall short of ambitions,” mentioned IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
– ‘SUPER-EMITTERS’ –
The IEA’s Global Methane Tracker report mentioned over 120 million tonnes was launched from the fossil gasoline sector in 2024, near the report excessive in 2019.
China has the biggest power methane emissions globally, primarily from its coal sector.
The United States follows in second, pushed by its oil and gasoline sector, with Russia third.
The IEA mentioned its figures are primarily based on measured information the place doable, in comparison with emissions reported by governments, which may be outdated or estimated utilizing data from the power sector.
Global methane emissions have gotten simpler to watch from house, with greater than 25 satellites monitoring gasoline plumes from fossil gasoline amenities and different sources.
The IEA mentioned that Europe’s Sentinel 5 satellite tv for pc, which simply sees the very largest leaks, confirmed that “super-emitting methane events” at oil and gasoline amenities rose to a report excessive in 2024.
These large leaks had been noticed everywhere in the world, however notably within the United States, Turkmenistan and Russia.
Abandoned oil and gasoline wells, and coal mines are additionally important sources of methane leaking into the environment, the IEA mentioned in new evaluation for this 12 months’s report.
When taken collectively they might be the “world’s fourth-largest emitter of fossil fuel methane”, accounting for some eight million tonnes final 12 months.
– ‘TREMENDOUS IMPACT’ –
Some 40 p.c of methane emissions come from pure sources, primarily wetlands.
The relaxation are from human actions, notably agriculture and the power sector.
Because methane is potent however comparatively short-lived it’s a key goal for international locations eager to slash emissions rapidly.
More than 150 international locations have promised a 30 p.c discount by 2030.
Oil and gasoline companies have in the meantime pledged to slash methane emissions by 2050.
The IEA estimated that slicing methane launched by the fossil gasoline sector would considerably gradual world warming, stopping a roughly 0.1 diploma Celsius rise in world temperatures by 2050.
“This would have a tremendous impact — comparable to eliminating all CO2 emissions from the world’s heavy industry in one stroke,” the report mentioned.
Around 70 p.c of annual methane emissions from the power sector may very well be prevented with current applied sciences.
But solely 5 p.c of world oil and gasoline meets “near-zero” emissions requirements, the IEA mentioned.
Energy suppose tank Ember mentioned the fossil gasoline trade wants to cut back methane emissions by 75 p.c by 2030 if the world is to satisfy the goal of decreasing total emissions to web zero by the center of this century.
In explicit, methane from coal was “still being ignored,” mentioned Ember analyst Sabina Assan.
“There are cost-effective technologies available today, so this is a low-hanging fruit of tackling methane. We can’t let coal mines off the hook any longer.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr