Stalled methane fight risks climate, energy security
Limited progress has been made on global methane targets Australia has signed up to, with the global energy agency warning that inaction would leave valuable gas out of the market during a supply shock.
The International Energy Agency said that capturing methane from fossil fuel projects and plugging leaks could add twice as much gas to markets as was lost by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz.
In its 2026 methane update, the IEA said large quantities of the gas remain untapped despite supply shocks caused by ongoing conflicts in the Middle East that are disrupting LNG trade.
“This is not just a climate issue,” said Tim Gould, IEA chief energy economist.
“There are also significant energy security benefits that can result from combating methane and flaring.”
As oil and coal are extracted from the ground, methane gas from the environment can unintentionally escape or be vented or flared when companies are not set up to capture methane gas.
Fugitive methane, in addition to causing product loss for energy producers, is a major climate problem, having 80 times more warming power than carbon dioxide in 20 years.
More than 150 countries, including Australia, have signed up to the Global Methane Commitment to reduce emissions sources by 30 per cent by 2030.
But little progress has been made towards this target, with global energy methane emissions set to reach record levels in 2025, according to the IEA.
Although not all of the methane can be economically captured or prevented, roughly 70 percent can be cut with current technology.
Since the value of the seized gas product will overshadow infrastructure and equipment expenses, a cut of up to 30 percent may be made.
Australia is a major coal miner, and although the IEA says methane concentrations are below the global average, emissions from its projects are likely underreported.
The report stated that the coal sector, consisting mostly of underground and open mines in Queensland and NSW, will release 1.7 million tonnes of methane in 2025.
Ember methane analyst Sabina Assan said the analysis reconfirmed that methane emissions from Australia’s coal sector were “massively underreported”.
“The size of the potential emissions should serve as a wake-up call for Australia to align its policies with climate science and rapidly reduce coal mine methane – one of the cheapest and fastest ways to reduce warming today,” he said.
Australia is currently reviewing its methods for estimating methane from open-pit mines and has committed to reducing emissions from the resource sector in the short term. action plan It was released in 2025.
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