Towards Unnerving Heights: Methane Pollution in the Energy Sector set to Reach New Peaks by 2024
Energy sector methane emissions approach record highs in 2024, as per Energy Agency report - Energy Sector Methane Emissions Approach Historical Peak in 2024, According to Energy Agency's Report
The energy sector wields a formidable, contributing impact, accounting for about a third of human-induced methane emissions. This potent greenhouse gas seeps out from gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure, and voluntarily released during maintenance operations. The peak was attained in 2019, and recent data suggests a persistent trend of delayed action towards reducing these emissions.
"However, methane mitigation strategies continue to trail the proposed targets, lamented IEA Director Fatih Birol," he stated, corroborating the data presented by the energy agency. Unlike the government-reported emissions, which are often estimated and subject to error, the IEA relies on measured data wherever feasible.
The IEA estimates that the actual emissions are around 80 percent higher than the total methane emissions declared by countries to the United Nations. The agency has been vocal about this discrepancy for years, but recent advancements have allowed for a more accurate monitoring of global methane emissions from space.
For instance, the European satellite Sentinel 5, which exclusively spots major leaks, reveals that "super-emitting methane instances" at oil and gas facilities reached a record high in 2024. Such cataclysmic leaks occurred across territories, with frequent occurrences in the USA, Turkmenistan, and Russia. Inactive oil, gas, and coal mining facilities also serve as significant sources of methane.
Curbing methane emissions presents an opportunity to swiftly counter climate change. The IEA posits that decreasing methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector could appreciably slow global warming and prevent a rise in global temperatures by roughly 0.1 degrees Celsius by 2050. This impact would be comparable to eliminating all CO2 emissions from the global heavy industry simultaneously.
Approximately 40 percent of global methane emissions derive from natural sources, predominantly from wetlands. The remaining percentage stems from human activities such as livestock rearing and energy consumption.
- Methane Leaks
- IEA
- Super-emitters
- Greenhouse Gases
- Energy Sector
- Fatih Birol
- Climate Change
- Paris Agreement
- Methane Emissions
- Global Warming
- International Energy Agency
The IEA's Current Undertakings
- Tracking Methane Emissions: The IEA's Global Methane Tracker provides an essential tool for monitoring methane emissions worldwide, allowing for targeted improvements.
- Enhancing Accuracy: The IEA underscores the importance of precise reporting of methane emissions, as countries often underestimate their energy sector methane emissions.
- Cost-Effective Solutions: The agency advocates for fixing leaks in infrastructure like gas pipelines, a relatively inexpensive method to promptly reduce emissions.
- The International Energy Agency (IEA) is tracking methane emissions worldwide, using the Global Methane Tracker to provide essential information for targeted improvements.
- In his statements, Fatih Birol of the IEA emphasized the need for precise reporting of methane emissions, as countries often underestimate their energy sector emissions.
- The IEA has been vocal about the fact that actual methane emissions are around 80 percent higher than the total emissions declared by countries to the United Nations.
- In 2024, super-emitting methane instances at oil and gas facilities reached a record high, according to data from the European satellite Sentinel 5.
- Curbing methane emissions offers an opportunity to swiftly counter climate change, with the IEA positing that decreasing methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector could appreciably slow global warming.
- The IEA advocates for cost-effective solutions like fixing leaks in infrastructure like gas pipelines, a relatively inexpensive method to promptly reduce emissions.
