Global Methane Tracker 2025

The Global Methane Tracker 2025 by the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlights the critical role of the fossil fuel sector in global methane emissions and underscores urgent opportunities for reduction. Here’s a concise summary of the key points:

• Fossil fuel sector: Responsible for nearly one-third of methane emissions from human activity.
• Impact of methane: Accounts for about 30% of global temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution.
• Emission levels: Remain above 120 million tonnes (Mt) annually, due to record fossil fuel production and weak mitigation efforts.
• New data (2024):
  • Abandoned wells and mines: Contributed ~8 Mt of methane (included in the Tracker for the first time).
  • Bioenergy: Added 20 Mt, mainly from inefficient biomass combustion in developing regions.
• Agriculture and waste: Also large methane sources, but fossil fuel supply offers the fastest and most impactful reduction potential.
• Mitigation potential: Existing technologies could cut fossil fuel methane emissions to near zero today, often at low or negative cost.