Emissions of methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, remain very high. The International Environment Agency (IEA) reported this on Monday during an international meeting in Paris, where its annual Global Methane Tracker report was presented.
In 2025, record production from the fossil fuel sector (oil, coal, gas) was responsible for 35% of methane emissions from human activities, or 124 million tons (Mt), the IEA estimates.
Odorless, invisible gas
“There is no sign that global energy-related methane emissions will have decreased in 2025,” the IEA notes. With a much greater warming potential than CO2, methane is responsible for approximately 30% of the rise in the global average temperature since the Industrial Revolution. But because its lifespan is shorter, reducing it offers “significant short-term benefits for the climate.”
Methane is an odorless, invisible gas, the main component of natural gas, that originates from sources such as gas pipelines, cows, and landfills. In the oil and gas industry, methane escapes through leaks in equipment or during degassing or flaring operations.
Approximately 580 million tons of methane are released worldwide annually, 60% of which is attributable to human activity, led by agriculture, followed by energy.
Solution to the energy crisis
However, according to the IEA, the fight against methane could offer a solution to the energy crisis. Proven solutions, such as detecting and repairing leaks or limiting flaring, would prevent approximately 30% of fossil fuel emissions “at zero cost”. The captured gas can be resold.
In the context of tensions in energy markets linked to the war in the Middle East, addressing methane is not only a climate problem, but also a clear energy security issue.
War in the Middle East
The IEA notes that recovering this unused gas would strengthen the energy supply, which has been put to the test by the war in the Middle East, by supplying markets with 200 billion m³ of gas annually. This 200 billion m³ represents double the amount of gas flowing annually through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked since the beginning of the war.
Meanwhile, the IEA points out that most of the approximately one hundred countries that have signed the Global Methane Pledge have not yet taken concrete action: current policy would reduce oil and gas-related emissions by 20% by 2030, below the economic target of -30% by 2020. Approximately 70% of methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector come from the 10 highest-emitting countries.
