SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A power plant emits smoke and smog.
(Photo: Aleksandr Gavrilychev/Getty Images)
Despite Industry Vows, Methane Emissions Remained Near Record Highs in 2023
"Close to 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels come from the top 10 emitting countries," states a new report from the International Energy Agency.
Mar 13, 2024
Methane emissions from the energy sector remain near record highs, despite the industry claiming it would act to rein in the powerful greenhouse gas, according to an International Energy Agency report released on Wednesday.
The report states that nearly 120 million tons of methane were emitted by the energy sector in 2023. That means emissions haven't changed significantly since 2019. The oil industry produced the most emissions with nearly 50 million tons of methane emitted last year.
"Close to 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels come from the top 10 emitting countries," the report states.
🗣 “A 75% cut in methane emissions from fossil fuels by 2030 is imperative to stop the planet from warming to a dangerous level.”
Our Executive Director @fbirol on the need for stronger efforts to cut methane from fossil fuel operations.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/MeRL9r7jYR pic.twitter.com/iJug2qcHnL
— International Energy Agency (@IEA) March 13, 2024
The U.S. is the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas, followed by Russia. China has the highest methane emissions from the coal industry.
"We estimate that if all methane policies and pledges made by countries and companies to date are implemented and achieved in full and on time, methane emissions from fossil fuels would decline by around 50% by 2030," the report says. "However, in most cases, these pledges are not yet backed up by detailed plans, policies, and regulations."
Though the energy sector is emitting a lot of methane, agriculture is actually the largest emitter of methane. Pledges to reduce methane emissions in that sector must also be met to address the climate crisis.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and it can trap far more heat than CO2. The IEA has been warning for years that sharp reductions in methane emissions are needed, but action has been slow.
"Well-known policies and existing technologies could reduce methane emissions from fossil fuels substantially," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "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."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Methane emissions from the energy sector remain near record highs, despite the industry claiming it would act to rein in the powerful greenhouse gas, according to an International Energy Agency report released on Wednesday.
The report states that nearly 120 million tons of methane were emitted by the energy sector in 2023. That means emissions haven't changed significantly since 2019. The oil industry produced the most emissions with nearly 50 million tons of methane emitted last year.
"Close to 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels come from the top 10 emitting countries," the report states.
🗣 “A 75% cut in methane emissions from fossil fuels by 2030 is imperative to stop the planet from warming to a dangerous level.”
Our Executive Director @fbirol on the need for stronger efforts to cut methane from fossil fuel operations.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/MeRL9r7jYR pic.twitter.com/iJug2qcHnL
— International Energy Agency (@IEA) March 13, 2024
The U.S. is the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas, followed by Russia. China has the highest methane emissions from the coal industry.
"We estimate that if all methane policies and pledges made by countries and companies to date are implemented and achieved in full and on time, methane emissions from fossil fuels would decline by around 50% by 2030," the report says. "However, in most cases, these pledges are not yet backed up by detailed plans, policies, and regulations."
Though the energy sector is emitting a lot of methane, agriculture is actually the largest emitter of methane. Pledges to reduce methane emissions in that sector must also be met to address the climate crisis.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and it can trap far more heat than CO2. The IEA has been warning for years that sharp reductions in methane emissions are needed, but action has been slow.
"Well-known policies and existing technologies could reduce methane emissions from fossil fuels substantially," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "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."
Methane emissions from the energy sector remain near record highs, despite the industry claiming it would act to rein in the powerful greenhouse gas, according to an International Energy Agency report released on Wednesday.
The report states that nearly 120 million tons of methane were emitted by the energy sector in 2023. That means emissions haven't changed significantly since 2019. The oil industry produced the most emissions with nearly 50 million tons of methane emitted last year.
"Close to 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels come from the top 10 emitting countries," the report states.
🗣 “A 75% cut in methane emissions from fossil fuels by 2030 is imperative to stop the planet from warming to a dangerous level.”
Our Executive Director @fbirol on the need for stronger efforts to cut methane from fossil fuel operations.
Read more ➡️ https://t.co/MeRL9r7jYR pic.twitter.com/iJug2qcHnL
— International Energy Agency (@IEA) March 13, 2024
The U.S. is the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas, followed by Russia. China has the highest methane emissions from the coal industry.
"We estimate that if all methane policies and pledges made by countries and companies to date are implemented and achieved in full and on time, methane emissions from fossil fuels would decline by around 50% by 2030," the report says. "However, in most cases, these pledges are not yet backed up by detailed plans, policies, and regulations."
Though the energy sector is emitting a lot of methane, agriculture is actually the largest emitter of methane. Pledges to reduce methane emissions in that sector must also be met to address the climate crisis.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and it can trap far more heat than CO2. The IEA has been warning for years that sharp reductions in methane emissions are needed, but action has been slow.
"Well-known policies and existing technologies could reduce methane emissions from fossil fuels substantially," IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said. "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."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.