Tackling Methane Emissions Could Ease Energy Crunch, IEA Says
A report released Monday by the International Energy Agency (IEA) argues that cutting methane emissions from fossil fuel operations would help fight climate change and bolster energy security, particularly as the ongoing crisis involving Iran strains global supplies. The IEA’s Global Methane Tracker 2026 states that oil, gas, and coal activities account for roughly 35 percent of methane emissions caused by human activity — yet there is little sign these emissions are falling.
The report warns that methane emissions from fossil fuels remain near record highs, despite the availability of proven and relatively inexpensive mitigation measures. Methane is the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide, and although it stays in the atmosphere for a much shorter time, its warming effect is about 80 times more potent over a 20-year period.
The IEA calculates that methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal total 124 million tonnes per year, with oil the largest source at 45 million tonnes, followed by coal at 43 million tonnes, and natural gas at 36 million tonnes. An additional 20 million tonnes comes from bioenergy production and consumption, largely from the incomplete combustion of traditional biomass used for cooking and heating in developing economies.
The report comes at a time when oil prices have soared since the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, and Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response. An April ceasefire between the sides is currently holding, but global energy supplies remain limited, and the crisis is disrupting about 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade flows.
The IEA suggests that a global effort to cut methane from oil and gas operations could make nearly 100 billion cubic metres of natural gas available annually. Eliminating non-emergency flaring worldwide could unlock a further 100 billion cubic metres each year.
France Hosts Paris Meeting to Build Momentum Ahead of COP31
On Monday, France convened government officials, industry leaders, and experts in Paris to build momentum on cutting methane emissions ahead of the UN’s COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey, scheduled for November. French Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut told participants that no single country or sector can tackle the problem alone — “nobody can win it alone,” she said — and expressed hope that discussions would accelerate the implementation of effective solutions.
The meeting comes as the Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, has nearly 160 countries committed to cutting methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared with 2020 levels. However, the world remains “very far” from meeting that target, according to recent assessments.
Beyond fossil fuels, methane emissions also stem from agriculture — particularly livestock such as cows and sheep, and rice farming — as well as from household waste when organic material decomposes in landfills without proper management. These sectors contribute significantly to the overall methane challenge.
Reducing methane emissions, the IEA and other experts say, remains one of the best available actions to slow global warming while also improving air quality, public health, and energy security.