Close to 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels come from the top 10 emitting countries.
Of the nearly 120 Mt of emissions the IEA estimates were tied to fossil fuels in 2023, around 80 Mt came from countries that are among the top 10 emitters of methane globally. The United States is the largest emitter of methane from oil and gas operations, closely followed by the Russian Federation. The People’s Republic of China is by far the highest emitter in the coal sector. The amount of methane lost in fossil fuel operations globally in 2023 was 170 billion cubic meters, more than Qatar’s natural gas production.
The methane emissions intensity of oil and gas production varies widely. The best-performing countries score more than 100 times better than the worst. Norway and the Netherlands have the lowest emissions intensities. Countries in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, also have relatively low emissions intensities. Turkmenistan and Venezuela have the highest. High emissions intensities are not inevitable; they can be addressed cost-effectively through a combination of high operational standards, policy action and technology deployment. On all these fronts, best practices are well established.
Greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations remain unacceptably high. Methane is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Emissions from the energy sector remained near a record high in 2023, though significant policies and regulations announced in the past year, as well as fresh pledges stemming from COP28, have the potential to put them into decline soon. The IEA estimates that the production and use of fossil fuels resulted in close to 120 Mt of methane emissions in 2023, while a further 10 Mt came from bioenergy – largely stemming from the traditional use of biomass. Emissions have remained around this level since 2019, when they reached a record high. Since fossil fuel supply has continued to expand since then, this indicates that the average methane intensity of production globally has declined marginally during this period.
Analysis of this data reveals both signs of progress and some worrying trends. On one hand, more governments and fossil fuel companies have committed to take action on methane. Global efforts to report emissions estimates consistently and transparently are strengthening, and studies suggest emissions are falling in some regions. However, overall emissions remain far too high to meet the world’s climate goals. Large methane emissions events detected by satellites also rose by more than 50% in 2023 compared with 2022, with more than 5 Mt of methane emissions detected from major fossil fuel leaks around the world – including a major well blowout in Kazakhstan that went on for more than 200 days.
/IEA/