Explained: Why We Should Be Worried About So Much Methane Emitted By Energy Sector

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently in its report, warned that the energy sector's overall methane emissions are substantially underreported, as it recommended cuts to the most potent greenhouse gas as a quick approach to make a significant impact on global warming. According to the IEA's latest annual Global Methane Tracker, energy sector emissions are around 70% higher than official government numbers.

What is methane?

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According to the UN, methane, a greenhouse gas that is also a byproduct of natural gas, is accountable for 25% of the current global warming. Because it is a GHG, its presence in the atmosphere increases the Earth's temperature.

Methane is produced in a number of ways, including both natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) sources. Landfills, oil and natural gas pipelines, agricultural practices, coal mining, wastewater treatment, and some industrial operations are also sources of methane, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. One of the major sources of man-made methane emissions is the oil and gas industry.

Anthropogenic sources of methane account for 60% of worldwide methane emissions, according to NASA. Fossil fuel combustion, decomposition in landfills, and agriculture all contribute to these emissions.

Methane is trapped underneath the coal surface and is retrieved by drilling into the seam and releasing the groundwater. As a result of the pressure loss, methane is released from the coal.

What are the environmental consequences of methane emissions?

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Carbon dioxide and methane are examples of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that trap heat in the atmosphere. They absorb heat from the earth's surface and re-emit it to the lower atmosphere, thus raising the temperature.

In terms of the quantity of GHG emissions, methane has the second-highest radiative forcing effect, i.e. warming, behind carbon dioxide. According to the Global Methane Budget 2020, the warming effect of methane is 28 times that of carbon dioxide.

According to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), methane is around 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at raising the atmospheric temperature over a 20-year period. When methane has a significantly shorter atmospheric lifetime (12 years versus centuries for CO2), it is a lot more effective greenhouse gas simply because it absorbs more energy while in the atmosphere, according to the IEA. The average methane leak rate of 2.3 percent "erodes much of the climate advantage gas has over coal," according to the study.

Methane only lasts approximately a decade in the atmosphere, compared to centuries for carbon dioxide, but according to the UNEP, human emissions of methane are second only to carbon dioxide in terms of contributing to global warming.

The Paris-based watchdog said in its 2022 Global Methane Tracker report that the globe needed to scale up its monitoring efforts and policy measures to reduce damaging gas emissions.

Global methane tracker 2022

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Methane is accountable for roughly 30% of the rise in global temperatures during the Industrial Revolution, according to the IEA Global Methane Tracker 2022 report. This, it added, demonstrated the necessity for greater transparency and also "stronger policy action to reduce emissions of this potent greenhouse gas," which has been blamed for the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution.

"If we can reduce man-made methane emissions by 30 percent by the end of this decade from where they are now, the effect on temperature increase in mid-century will be the same as switching all of the world's cars, trucks, planes, and ships to zero emissions technologies," IEA chief energy economist Tim Gould said during a briefing.

According to the IEA, the energy industry accounts for roughly 40% of human-caused methane emissions. Other industries, including agriculture, are major methane emitters. According to the IEA's annual Global Methane Tracker study, energy sector emissions increased by over 5% last year. The amount of methane released was estimated to be around 180 billion cubic metres of natural gas, according to the report. "This is adequate to relieve today's market constraint and is equivalent to all gas utilized in Europe's power sector," the IEA said.

New satellites have aided specialists in identifying the sources of huge emissions, yet the equator, far north, and offshore regions remain neglected. China, Russia, the U.S, Iran, and India are the countries with the largest emissions, according to the IEA.

The findings emphasize "the critical need for increased monitoring efforts and stronger policy action to reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas.".

30-percent cut target

Leaks and operations in the energy industry are major sources of methane emissions. Many older oil wells flare up undesired methane¡ªwhich is essentially natural gas used to heat homes¡ªdue to the high expense of constructing infrastructure. However, with gas prices rising, the expenses of measures to capture methane and limit leaks will fast pay for themselves, reducing supply constraints.

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Participants signed a Global Methane Pledge to limit methane emissions by 2030 at the COP26 Climate Change Conference in Glasgow last year.

The US and EU announced the pledge in September, and it essentially amounts to a global pact to cut methane emissions. One of the main goals of this agreement is to reduce methane emissions by up to 30% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.

Rapidly lowering methane emissions complements the action on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and is widely recognized as the single most effective option for reducing global warming in the short term and keeping the 1.5 degree Celsius target within reach.

Methane's impact on climate, past, and future

According to reports, methane may have also been the cause of dramatic warming occurrences millions of years ago. Methane forms into a slush-like material called methane hydrate when exposed to extreme pressures, such as those found deep beneath the ocean's surface. In this chemical state, vast amounts of methane are "frozen" in place at the bottom of the sea, though the exact amounts and locations are still being investigated. Unless something disturbs the hydrates, such as a plume of warm water, they remain stable.

According to some scientists, destabilized hydrates may have triggered a huge warming event some 55 million years ago. Methane seeps up from the bottom into the atmosphere, overwhelming it with the heat-trapping gas and causing the planet to rapidly overheat.

Since 1750, methane concentrations in the modern atmosphere have increased by more than 150 percent. It's unclear whether or not this trend will continue, or at what rate, but the IPCC warns that limiting methane emissions is critical to preventing additional global warming.

Where does India stand?

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According to research backed by the EU's climate change initiative, India is the third-biggest producer of methane emissions, owing to the scale of its rural economy and the fact that it has the world's largest cattle population. Existing low-cost options to reduce methane emissions, such as better waste and livestock management practices, are mentioned in both the article and the UNEP report. Methane, which is emitted during the manufacturing of fossil fuels, can be trapped and used as a useful energy source.

India has previously indicated that it intends to deploy technologies to capture methane for use as a source of energy. Agriculture (manure management), coal mines, municipal solid waste, and natural gas and oil systems account for about 20% of India's anthropogenic methane emissions, according to a communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) claims to have invested considerably in a national strategy to enhance biogas production and reduce methane emissions in order to tap into this "potential."

China, Russia, the United States, Iran, and India are the five countries mentioned in the IEA research as having the highest methane emissions from their energy sectors - only the United States is a signatory to the Pledge. Although no official reason has been given for India's refusal to sign up, rumours imply that Indian officials are concerned with the wording of the promise, which suggests that satisfying the pledge's commitments could result in trade restrictions.

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