Methane emissions from the global energy sector hovered near a record high last year, but they could fall if global policies and pledges are carried out, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday.
The agency’s annual Global Methane Tracker report found that overall emissions of the potent gas are still too high to hit global climate targets — with multiple, large-emission events detected via satellite in 2023.
Fossil fuel production and use resulted in nearly 120 million metric tons of methane emissions in 2023, the IEA said in a news release. Another 10 million metric tons of methane emissions were tied to bioenergy, including biomass used for cooking. Emissions have stayed around this level since 2019, when they reached “a record high,” the agency said in its report.
On Wednesday, the IEA said the top 10 emitting countries were behind two-thirds of total methane emissions from fossil fuels in 2023, with the United States registering as the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas operations, followed by Russia.
