Emissions of greenhouse fuel liable for a 3rd of world warming ‘unacceptably excessive’, says vitality watchdog.
Methane emissions from the vitality sector approached document highs final yr, the Worldwide Power Company (IEA) warned.
In a report launched on Wednesday, the worldwide watchdog mentioned the fossil gas trade’s emissions of the potent greenhouse fuel, liable for about 30 p.c of world warming, reached greater than 120 million metric tonnes in 2023. That put emissions near the document set in 2019, regardless of the sector having promised to make use of freely out there know-how to cut back their ranges.
Regardless of pledges made by the oil and fuel trade to convey down large-scale emission spikes by plugging infrastructure leaks, they jumped by 50 p.c final yr in contrast with 2022. One disastrous nicely blowout in Kazakhstan, recorded by satellites, lasted greater than 200 days.
The rise additionally got here regardless of the supply of know-how able to curbing air pollution at nearly no price, mentioned the Paris-based company. Some 40 p.c of the emissions recorded in 2023 “might have been prevented at no internet price” utilizing tried and examined strategies, mentioned IEA vitality professional Christophe McGlade.
Oil and fuel companies have pledged to slash their methane emissions by 2050, however their commitments haven’t been backed up by detailed plans. Discount of methane, second solely to carbon dioxide for its contribution to rising temperatures, is crucial to assembly worldwide targets on local weather change.
“Emissions of methane from fossil gas operations stay unacceptably excessive… There isn’t a cause for emissions to stay as excessive as they’re,” mentioned IEA chief vitality economist Tim Gould.
He expressed hope that 2024 “might mark a turning level” if international locations and fossil gas companies honour their guarantees by creating concrete insurance policies to curb air pollution.
Whereas some 40 p.c of methane is launched from pure sources, human actions are liable for the remainder. Within the vitality sector, methane leaks from vitality infrastructure, similar to fuel pipelines, and from deliberate releases throughout upkeep.
Two-thirds of the emissions in 2023 had been from simply 10 international locations, together with China’s coal trade and the US’ fuel sector, with Russia not far behind.
