Global methane emissions from the energy sector hit near a record high in 2023, the latest report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed on Wednesday.
The production and use of fossil fuels contributed to nearly 120 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2023, marking a small rise from the previous year, according to the IEA’s latest update on its Global Methane Tracker.
An additional 10 million tonnes of methane emissions came from bioenergy, mostly from the traditional use of biomass for activities such as cooking, the report added.
Ten countries, including the US, Russia, Iran, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, China, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iraq and Norway, were the top emitters responsible for around 80 million tonnes of fossil fuel methane emissions in 2023, contributing two-thirds of the global total.
According to the report, the world’s largest oil and gas producer, the US, was responsible for the largest emissions from oil and gas, closely followed by Russia, while China dominated coal methane emissions.
The report showed that, along with data from other science-based measurement campaigns, satellites identified a substantial increase in major fossil fuel leaks in 2023 compared with 2022, with more than 5 million tonnes of emissions detected.
The report also predicted that to limit global warming to 1.5°C, a key goal of the Paris Climate Agreement, methane emissions from fossil fuels need to decline by 75% this decade.
The Paris-based energy watchdog said that full implementation of existing methane pledges could cut fossil fuel emissions by 50% by 2030, but most countries lack concrete plans.
Last year, at the UN Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai, around 200 countries agreed to reduce methane emissions by 2030.
Commenting on the report, IEA executive director Fatih Birol said: “A 75% cut in methane emissions from fossil fuels by 2030 is imperative to stop the planet from warming to a dangerous level.”
Birol commented that the momentum seen in recent months was encouraging, and the analysis shows this could make an enormous and immediate difference in the world’s fight against climate change.
He called for this commitment to be put into action while continuing to aim higher, in the knowledge that existing policies and technologies could reduce methane emissions from fossil fuels substantially.
“The IEA stands ready to help the energy sector meet its goals by deploying these measures, and we will continue to monitor progress—a key part of our wider efforts to ensure countries deliver on the energy promises they made at COP28,” he said.
Methane is responsible for almost a third of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution, and the energy sector, including oil, natural gas, coal and bioenergy, is the second-largest source of methane emissions from human activity.
Reporting by Nuran Erkul Kaya in London
Writing by Handan Kazanci
Anadolu Agency
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