The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) slammed energy companies for failing to limit methane emissions Tuesday, claiming that there was “no excuse” for rising emissions in 2022.
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol criticized energy companies for failing to invest in methane capture technology and other methods of reducing emissions, despite posting record profits in 2022, according to the agency’s press release. In all, methane emissions from the energy sector rose to 135 million metric tons in 2022, slightly below the record levels set in 2019, with coal, oil and natural gas sectors each responsible for roughly 40 million metric tons of emissions each, according to the IEA.
“Our new Global Methane Tracker shows that some progress is being made but that emissions are still far too high and not falling fast enough – especially as methane cuts are among the cheapest options to limit near-term global warming,” Birol said in the press release. “There is just no excuse. … Fossil fuel producers need to step up and policy makers need to step in – and both must do so quickly.”
New from @IEA: the global energy industry emitted 135 million tonnes of methane in 2022, slightly below 2019’s record levels
These emissions are far too high & not falling fast enough, even as soaring energy prices made reducing them cheaper than ever ➡️ https://t.co/0KX1JA06JD pic.twitter.com/6jxNPvOYGc
— Fatih Birol (@fbirol) February 21, 2023
While over 150 countries have signed commitments to cut global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 to 2030, China and Russia, which are together responsible for 22.4% of global methane emissions, have not made such commitments, according to Reuters. Roughly half of all coal-based emissions came from mines in China, where methane is released from the earth as a by-product of mining operations, the IEA reported.
The IEA did not immediately respond to a Daily Caller News Foundation request for comment.
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