Fossil fuel methane emissions remain at historic levels, report finds

Methane emissions from the energy sector remain at historic levels. In a report published Wednesday, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned of a surge in massive releases of this highly potent greenhouse gas from oil and gas facilities. In 2024, production from the fossil fuel industry (gas, oil, coal) was responsible for releasing more than 120 million tonnes of methane into the atmosphere, close to the record reached in 2019 , according to the latest edition of the IEA's Global Methane Tracker report.

Invisible in the air and odorless, methane, the second most important greenhouse gas after CO₂, is the molecule in natural gas that escapes from pipelines and coal mines, but whose emissions are also caused by cattle and waste. In total, approximately 580 million tons of methane are released each year, 60% of which is attributable to human activity—with agriculture leading the way, followed by energy—and nearly a third to natural wetlands.

The energy sector is responsible for about one-third of anthropogenic methane emissions, due to leaks that occur during extraction and production (flaring, methane releases), and transportation (gas pipelines, ships).

Methane, which has a much greater warming potential than CO₂, is responsible for around 30% of global warming since the industrial revolution, but it has a shorter lifespan. It is therefore a priority lever for rapid emissions reductions.

However, measures to combat methane remain "below ambition," said Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA. This is despite the fact that around 70% of these emissions could be easily avoided at low cost – the captured gas could be resold, according to the OECD agency.

China is the world's largest emitter of energy-related methane, primarily from its coal sector. Next come the United States and Russia. The IEA's figures are based on measured data, when observations are possible, as opposed to reported emissions, which may be outdated or estimated based on information from the energy sector. The IEA points out that its estimate is approximately 80% higher than the total reported by countries to the United Nations. But "transparency is improving" thanks to more than 25 satellites tracking methane plumes escaping from oil and gas facilities, as well as landfills, intensive livestock farms, and rice paddies.

One of these, the European Sentinel 5P, which detects only the largest leaks, observed that "super methane events" at oil and gas facilities reached a record high in 2024, despite reduced coverage. Massive leaks were detected worldwide, but particularly in the United States, Turkmenistan, and Russia.

Abandoned oil and gas wells and coal mines are also major sources of methane leaks, according to a new IEA analysis for the report. Together, they would constitute the "fourth largest global emitter of fossil fuel methane," contributing some 8 million tonnes in 2024.