Page 8 - AfrElec Week 08 2022

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

IEA warns more needs to

be done to stem rising

methane emissions

GLOBAL METHANE emissions, the second largest source net cost,” said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.
of global warming, rose by nearly 5% in 2021, “The International Energy Agency has been a
IEA’s Global Methane Tracker showed. longstanding champion of stronger action to cut
Worryingly, methane emissions from the methane emissions. A vital part of those efforts
energy sector are about 70% greater than the is transparency on the size and location of the
amount national governments have officially emissions, which is why the massive underre-
reported. porting revealed by our Global Methane Tracker
https://www.iea.org/news/methane-emis- is so alarming.”
sions-from-the-energy-sector-are-70-higher-
than-official-figures Methane
The rise puts at risk the goals of the Global Methane is responsible for around 30% of the
Methane Pledge, signed at the COP26 confer- rise in global temperatures since the Industrial
ence in Glasgow. Revolution, and quick and sustained emission
“This is harmful & unnecessary when much reductions are key to limiting near-term warm-
of these emissions can easily be avoided at no ing and improving air quality.
net cost,” said IEA chief energy economist Tim The energy sector accounts for 38% of meth-
Gould. ane emissions from human activity, just behind
This underreporting must be addressed, and agriculture. Onshore oil production and coal are
more measurement & data transparency is vital, the two largest source of methane emissions.
said Gould. In South Africa, energy accounted for 44% of
“At today’s elevated natural gas prices, nearly methane emissions, while in China the share was
all of the methane emissions from oil and gas 48%, according to data from the IEA’s Methane
operations worldwide could be avoided at no Tracker.

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 08 24•February•2022