Description

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Context

The energy sector contributed around 145 million tonnes of methane emissions in 2024 with oil and gas facilities accounting for over 80 million tonnes according to the International Energy Agency’s Global Methane Tracker 2025.

About

Methane (CH₄) is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide.

Despite its shorter atmospheric lifespan (~10 years) it has a Global Warming Potential nearly 80 times that of CO₂ over a 20-year period.

Responsible for ~30% of the global warming observed since the Industrial Revolution.

Sources of Methane Emissions

Sector	Contribution (2024, IEA)	Key Sub-sources
Agriculture	~40% of total anthropogenic	Enteric fermentation, manure management, paddy fields
Energy	~35% of total anthropogenic	Oil (45 Mt), Gas (35 Mt), Coal (40 Mt), Bioenergy (18 Mt traditional, 2 Mt modern)
Waste	~20–25%	Landfills, wastewater treatment
Natural Sources	~40% of total methane	Wetlands, permafrost thaw, termites

Energy Sector Emissions (IEA 2025)

Total Emissions: 145 Mt (2024)

Oil & Gas: ~80 Mt

Oil: 45 Mt
Gas: 35 Mt
Abandoned Wells: 3 Mt

Coal Mining: >40 Mt

Abandoned Coal Mines: 4 Mt

Bioenergy: 20 Mt

Traditional Biomass (wood, dung, charcoal): 18 Mt
Modern Bioenergy (biogas, biomethane): 2 Mt

End-use Equipment Leaks: 2 Mt

Top Emitting Countries (Energy Sector)

China
USA
Russia
Iran
Turkmenistan
India
Venezuela
Indonesia

Characteristics of Methane

Attribute	Details
Appearance	Colourless, odourless, flammable gas
Sources	Natural (wetlands), anthropogenic (agriculture, energy, waste)
GWP	~80 times more than CO₂ over a 20-year time frame
Atmospheric Lifespan	~10 years
Current Concentration	2.5x higher than pre-industrial levels; rising faster than other GHGs

Mitigation Potential & Technologies

IEA Estimate: ~70% of fossil fuel methane emissions can be cut using existing technologies.

In oil and gas: 75% emissions can be avoided by:

Detecting and repairing leaks

Replacing high-emitting components

Plugging abandoned wells

Coal Sector Mitigation

Methane capture and utilization in mines

Flaring and oxidation technologies

Bioenergy Mitigation

Shift from traditional biomass to clean cooking fuels

Promote biogas and biomethane but monitor leaks

Global Pledges & Policy Gaps

Initiative	Objective	Progress
Global Methane Pledge (2021)	Reduce methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030	Over 150 countries joined, but India & China not included
Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter	Cut methane emissions from 50 major oil & gas firms	Implementation slow
Nationally Determined Contributions	Only ~30 NDCs mention methane reduction; only 9 have quantitative targets	New NDCs from Brazil, UAE, UK, Canada mention methane mitigation

Financing Needs

Oil & Gas Sector: $175 billion to cut 75% of emissions

Coal Sector: $85 billion

Funding Gap in LMICs: $60 billion

$40B for active sites
$20B for abandoned sites

IEA Suggestion: Oil & gas companies should fund mitigation, as it is <2% of their annual income

Challenges

IEA estimates are ~80% higher than reported to UNFCCC.

Many top emitters e.g., India, China, Russia not part of GMP.

Few countries with concrete roadmaps or regulations.

What Needs to be Done?

Plug abandoned wells, seal coal mines.

Promote universal access to clean cooking.

Improve methane leak detection systems.

Integrate methane mitigation in climate action plans.

Include methane targets in 2025 NDC submissions.

Direct climate finance toward methane abatement in developing countries.

Sources:

DOWNTOEARTH

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Methane is a powerful but short-lived greenhouse gas. Critically analyse its role in climate change and assess the effectiveness of international efforts to mitigate methane emissions. 250 words