Methane emissions, which account for 30% of all observed global warming to date, are 70% higher than reported within the energy sector indicating that almost all national inventories have been underreporting emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.
The energy sector accounts for approximately 40% of all global methane emissions.
The agency measured the discrepancy using satellite technology to capture major methane leaks in various countries. The agency noted that significant methane leaks were identified in the Permian Basin in Texas. Major leaks also occurred in Central Asia, with Turkmenistan particularly being responsible for one-third of major emissions events.
Though all regions reported less methane emissions than were registered by satellite the largest discrepancy between reported methane emissions and those recorded by the IEA was in the Middle East, where emissions were approximately six times higher than reported.
