The United Nations has sounded the alarm on a critical climate issue: a staggering 99% of methane leak alerts from oil and gas infrastructure have gone unheeded. Since launching its methane monitoring initiative last year, the UN’s International Methane Emissions Observatory has issued 1,200 alerts to governments and companies. Shockingly, only 12 major plumes received a substantive response to plug the leaks.
“We had expected the response rate to be substantially higher,” said Roland Kupers, the programme’s lead architect, during a presentation at the COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. Many recipients of these alerts had previously committed to the Global Methane Pledge, aiming to cut methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, urged immediate action. “Governments and oil and gas companies must stop paying lip service to this challenge,” she stated. “They should recognize the significant opportunity this system presents and start responding by plugging leaks that are spewing out climate-warming methane.”
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. To date, methane emissions have contributed about 0.5 degrees Celsius to global warming, accounting for a third of the temperature rise since the mid-19th century.
Experts highlight that capping leaks from oil and gas wells and equipment is one of the fastest ways to address the problem. Not only does it benefit the environment, but it also makes financial sense, as lost methane equates to lost product.
Despite 150 countries signing the Global Methane Pledge and approximately 140 companies joining the UN’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 to tackle unintentional methane outputs, emissions from the oil and gas industry have remained at record highs since 2019.
The UN’s findings underscore an urgent need for action. As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, the world cannot afford inaction on methane leaks.
Reference(s):
UN: Countries, companies lag in response to methane emissions report
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