“Methane cuts are among the many most cost-effective choices to restrict near-term world warming,” mentioned IEA’s govt director Fatih Birol. “There may be simply no excuse.”

The IEA’s annual Methane Gasoline Tracker discovered that 75% of methane emissions from the oil and fuel sector might be lowered with far cheaper and available applied sciences.

Methane, which makes up pure fuel, can escape into the air from oil and fuel infrastructure. Fossil gas corporations might also flare or burn off extra fuel that may launch methane into the ambiance.

The report slammed oil and fuel majors’ refusal to pay up the some $100 billion wanted for applied sciences to spearhead the emissions cuts, which is lower than 3% of the business’s report bumper income made final yr.

The report mentioned that the vitality sector accounts for round 40% of the overall common methane emissions from human exercise, second to agriculture, and is answerable for 135 million tons of methane launched into the ambiance final yr.

“The untamed launch of methane in fossil gas manufacturing is an issue that generally goes beneath the radar in public debate,” Birol mentioned. “Fossil gas producers must step up and coverage makers must step in – and each should achieve this shortly.”

Limiting emissions from coal mines — one other supply of methane — by decreasing coal consumption was additionally highlighted within the report. A toolkit and regulatory roadmap for coverage makers and business on coal methane reductions has been developed by the IEA.

Methane is a greenhouse fuel which is 80 instances stronger than carbon dioxide within the quick time period and is answerable for a few fifth of all warming. In 2021, world leaders dedicated to decreasing methane emissions from human actions by 30% by the top of the last decade.

New superior applied sciences and satellites are offering clearer methane emissions photographs growing the world’s data of emission sources.

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