Humans Contributed 60% of Global Methane Emissions in 2022

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Adi Ahdiat 28/02/2023 14:52 WIB

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The IEA estimates that global methane emissions in 2022 reached 580 million tonnes. Approximately 40% originated from natural sources, and 60% from human activities.

Global Methane Emissions by Source (2022)

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Humans Contributed 60% of Global Methane Emissions in 2022

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Global Methane Emissions by Source (2022)

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Like carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas that can trap and retain solar heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

"Methane is responsible for about 30% of the increase in global temperature since the Industrial Revolution," said the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its *Global Methane Tracker 2023* report.

"Although methane has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, it absorbs significantly more heat energy," it continued.

The IEA estimates that global methane emissions in 2022 reached 580 million tons. Approximately 40% were natural methane emissions from peatlands or wetlands, while 60% were anthropogenic methane emissions from human activities.

Further detailed, the most significant anthropogenic methane emissions originate from the agriculture and energy sectors. There are also emissions from waste disposal and biomass burning, as shown in the graph.

From these various emission sources, the IEA assesses that methane emission reductions should be easily achievable in the energy sector.

"Methane emissions from oil and natural gas can be reduced by up to 75% with currently available technology," said the IEA.

However, this methane emission reduction technology appears to be underutilized by relevant companies.

"Some progress has been and is being made, but emissions remain very high and are not falling fast enough," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol in a press release on Tuesday (February 21, 2023).

"The Nord Stream gas pipeline explosion last year released a large amount of methane into the atmosphere. However, oil and gas company operations worldwide also release the same amount of methane as the Nord Stream explosion every day," Birol continued.

Editor : Adi Ahdiat

"Disclosure: This is an AI-generated translation of the original article. We strive for accuracy, but please note that automated translations may contain errors or slight inconsistencies."