Emissions

Methane emissions from energy are underreported, IEA says

Global methane emissions from the energy sector are approximately 70% higher than what national governments have officially reported, according to new analysis by the International Energy Agency.
Methane emissions from energy are underreported, IEA says
FILE - A flare to burn methane from oil production is seen on a well pad near Watford City, North Dakota, Aug. 26, 2021 (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File).

Global methane emissions from the energy sector are approximately 70% higher than what national governments have officially reported, according to new analysis by the International Energy Agency.

The analysis comes from the organization’s newly released 2022 Global Methane Tracker. For the first time, this year’s edition includes country-by-country emissions from coal mines and bioenergy, in addition to those from oil and gas operations. In total, energy accounts for 40% of methane emissions from human activity, IEA reported.

China is the largest source of global energy-related methane emissions, with 28 million metric tons. Russia (18 mmt) and the United States (17 mmt) are second and third, respectively.

Overall, methane emissions from the energy sector grew by just under 5% in 2021. This did not bring them back to their 2019 levels and slightly lagged the rise in overall energy use, indicating that some efforts to limit emissions may already be paying off, researchers found.

“Emissions from oil, gas and coal are on the rise again, underscoring need for greater transparency, stronger policies and immediate action,” IEA’s report said.

(Source: IEA's 2022 Global Methane Tracker).

IEA said as more data becomes available, it is becoming more apparent that almost all national inventories have been underreporting emissions. Emissions reported for individual producing basins, fields and facilities are also typically lower than those observed through systematic monitoring.

IEA said satellites, for example, are helpful in identifying emissions sources, especially for large leaks in places such as the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia and across the United States, including the main U.S. shale plays. Large leaks from oil and gas operations were detected by satellite in 15 countries in 2021, with significant emissions from the Permian basin in Texas and very large leaks in parts of Central Asia, the organization said. Turkmenistan alone was responsible for one-third of the very large emissions events seen by satellites.

Existing satellites also do not measure equatorial regions, northern areas (including the main Russian oil and gas producing areas) or for offshore operations, the organization added.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, methane has contributed around 30% of observed global warming to date. Methane dissipates faster than carbon dioxide but is a much more powerful greenhouse gas during its short lifespan, meaning that cutting methane emissions would have a rapid effect on limiting global warming.

Tags