Unchecked Methane Emissions in Energy Sector Likely to Break New Records by 2024
Energy Sector Methane Emissions Reach Near-Record Levels in 2024, According to Energy Agency Report - Energy Sector Methane Emissions Approach All-Time High in 2024 – Report by Energy Agency
Let's dive into the grim reality of methane emissions, shall we?
The energy sector, responsible for a third of methane emissions caused by human activities, is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas leaks. These emissions originate from gas pipelines, energy infrastructure, and intentional releases during facility maintenance. The leaks reached an all-time high in 2019, but unfortunately, it seems we're not making significant progress in reducing them.
In an inconvenient truth, Fatih Birol, the head of the energy agency, has pointed out that the implementation of methane reduction measures continues to lag behind targets. The agency's data, predominantly based on actual measurements, is a stark contrast to the estimates derived from information provided by governments.
The IEA revels that actual emissions are about 80 percent higher than the total methane emissions reported by countries to the United Nations, and it's been sounding alarm bells about this trend for years. Thankfully, global methane emissions can now be monitored more precisely from space, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise gloomy prediction.
For instance, the European satellite Sentinel 5 has detected a record number of "super-emitting methane events" in 2024 at oil and gas facilities across the globe, particularly in the USA, Turkmenistan, and Russia. Lethargic oil, gas, and coal mining facilities also contribute significantly to methane emissions.
Reducing methane emissions offers a promising solution to battle climate change swiftly. The IEA estimates that cutting methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector would thwart global warming substantially, preventing a rise in global temperatures of approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius by 2050. That's comparable to eliminating all CO2 emissions from the global heavy industry simultaneously.
Nearly half of global methane emissions stem from natural sources, with wetlands being the primary culprit. The rest is due to human activities, like livestock farming or energy consumption.
- Energy Agency
- IEA
- Record Levels
- Energy Sector
- Emissions
- Peak
- Climate Change
- Global Warming
- Paris Agreement
- International Energy Agency
- Methane Leaks
- Carbon Dioxide Emissions
- The energy sector, a significant contributor to greenhouse gas leaks, is primarily responsible for a third of methane emissions caused by human activities.
- Fatih Birol, the head of the energy agency, has pointed out that the implementation of methane reduction measures continues to lag behind targets.
- The European satellite Sentinel 5 has detected record levels of "super-emitting methane events" in 2024 at oil and gas facilities across the globe.
- Reducing methane emissions offers a promising solution to battle climate change swiftly, preventing a rise in global temperatures by approximately 0.1 degrees Celsius by 2050.
- The IEA, in its estimates, reveals that actual emissions are about 80 percent higher than the total methane emissions reported by countries to the United Nations.
- The energy sector's peak methane emissions, if not addressed, are likely to break new records by 2024, posing a challenge to meet climate-change targets set by the Paris Agreement.
