The Paris-based company mentioned failing to curb methane leaks from oil and fuel initiatives was once a “massive missed opportunity” to cancel losses and let go emissions of the potent greenhouse fuel.
| Picture Credit score: AP
“Planet-heating methane released by the fossil fuel industry rose to near record highs in 2023 despite technology available to curb this pollution at virtually no cost,” the Global Power Company mentioned on March 13.
“Slashing emissions of methane — second only to carbon dioxide for its contribution to global warming — is essential to meeting international targets on climate change,” the IEA mentioned.
The Paris-based company mentioned failing to curb methane leaks from oil and fuel initiatives was once a “massive missed opportunity” to cancel losses and let go emissions of the potent greenhouse fuel.
“Emissions of methane from fossil fuel operations remain unacceptably high… There is no reason for emissions to remain as high as they are,” IEA eminent power economist Tim Gould informed newshounds forward of the shed of the company’s annual International Methane Tracker file.
However he expressed hope that this date “could mark a turning point” — if nations and fossil gasoline corporations flip their pollution-cutting guarantees into concrete insurance policies. Methane is chargeable for round 30% of the worldwide warming skilled nowadays, in line with the UN Condition Programme.
Presen some 40% of methane is discharged from herbal assets, basically wetlands, human actions are chargeable for the extra. Agriculture is the principle supply — methane is burped out by way of cattle reminiscent of cows and sheep and emitted right through rice cultivation.
This is adopted by way of the power sector the place the methane leaks from power infrastructure — reminiscent of fuel pipelines — and from planned releases right through upkeep.
“This fossil fuel methane pollution has risen three years in a row,” the IEA file mentioned, including that two thirds of the emissions have been from simply 10 nations — together with China for its methane related to coal, and the US for fuel, with Russia in a while in the back of.
Primary leaks
General, the IEA mentioned the manufacturing and burning of fossil fuels led to akin to 120 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2023, a little get up when compared with 2022 and akin to the file prime in 2019.
“Last year witnessed a surge in large-scale methane leaks,” it mentioned, “including a well blowout in Kazakhstan that lasted more than 200 days.”
“Some 40% of the emissions recorded in 2023 “could have been avoided at no net cost” the use of attempted and examined modes to cancel such leakages,” mentioned IEA power professional Christophe McGlade. “It still represents a massive missed opportunity,” he mentioned.
Methane is way more tough than CO2 at trapping warmth within the surrounding however slightly short-lived, making it a key goal for nations in need of to slash emissions temporarily and sluggish atmosphere alternate.
Greater than 150 nations — together with Azerbaijan, host of the upcoming UN atmosphere talks — have promised a 30 % relief by way of 2030. Oil and fuel corporations have in the meantime pledged to slash methane emissions by way of 2050.
“But these commitments were not backed up by detailed plans,” the IEA mentioned, calling for concrete insurance policies to show the contracts into truth.
It mentioned nations and firms have the facility to slash methane emissions from fossil fuels in part by way of 2030, in the event that they ship on their guarantees.
