International Energy Agency: Global Methane Emissions Are Underreported

New analysis from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that global methane emissions are around 70% higher than government data shows.

“The urgent need for enhanced monitoring efforts and stronger policy action to drive down emissions of the potent greenhouse gas,” was highlighted in the report published on February 23.

Despite the fact that methane decomposes more quickly than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it has an 80 times more impact on the greenhouse gas effect than carbon dioxide.

“Methane isn’t around very long, but it packs a really strong punch,” said senior analyst at the Pembina Institute, Jan Gorski. “If we can address methane very quickly, it can help us reduce the pace of global warming as we address CO2.”

A report from the IEA states that China, India, the United States, Russia, and Brazil are the world’s five top methane polluters and account for about half of all worldwide methane emissions.

According to Gorski, improved data is needed to accurately track progress and assist decision-making in order to combat this powerful greenhouse gas.

The IEA estimates that Canada’s offshore oil and gas sector has no emissions, despite the fact that it is the 14th greatest emitter in the world. However, Canadian methane emissions are between 50% and 100% more than they are claimed to be, according to recent reports.

“People across the country are dealing with the climate emergency, extreme heatwaves, flooding, droughts, and Canadians expect their federal government to be leaders in responding to the climate crisis,“ said federal NDP’s critic for environment and climate change, Laurel Collins. “Methane is responsible for about 30% of the rising global temperatures. If we want to effectively reduce our emissions, we need accurate data.”

The IEA report stated that the 180 billion cubic metres of methane released by fossil fuel activities would provide all of Europe’s power industry with gas if collected and sold.

“Why is the government continuing to subsidize Big Oil and Gas when they could put in regulations that won’t actually cost industry any money?” asked Collins.

A national goal of 75% reduction in oil and gas methane emissions by 2030, compared to 2012, has been set by Canada as part of the Global Methane Pledge.

Along with improving methane estimates, “we’ve just got to stop venting and flaring methane into the atmosphere,” says a senior climate policy adviser at the David Suzuki Foundation, Tom Green.

Since the IEA has demonstrated renewables to be the most cost-effective source of additional electricity, he believes the statistics offered in the report should lead countries that import natural gas to reevaluate their dependency on natural gas as an interim measure.

“This whole idea that [natural gas] is a bridge fuel is nonsense,” said Tom Green. “What this shows is it’s a problematic fossil fuel, and we shouldn’t be in the business of seeking to expand our exports.”

Original source material for this article taken from here