Launch of Methane Tracker 2021 and Methane Roadmap

The International Energy Agency will publish new data, analysis and policy advice on global methane emissions from the oil and gas industry on Monday, 18 January 2021. The IEA’s Methane Tracker will be updated with the latest global and country-by-country estimates of emissions for 2020. We will also release our new Methane Roadmap for driving down emissions. 

Dr Fatih Birol, IEA Executive Director, and Tim Gould, Head of Division for Energy Supply and Investment Outlooks, will be hosting a livestreamed webinar for the media on Monday at 14:30 PM Paris time to present the report’s main findings and review the new 2020 numbers. The new methane announcements are part of a series of IEA special projects in 2021 to support efforts to reach global energy and climate goals.

Methane emissions are the second largest cause of global warming. While methane tends to receive less attention than carbon dioxide, reducing methane emissions will be critical for avoiding the worst effects of climate change. The largest source of methane emissions from human activity is agriculture, responsible for around a quarter of the total, closely followed by the energy sector, which includes emissions from coal, oil, natural gas and biofuels.

In a new update, the IEA is releasing our latest updated numbers on methane emissions for 2020 as well as the potential for reducing them. The Methane Tracker 2021 will also include, for the first time, data on larger-scale methane leaks detected by satellite. 

Our new report, Driving Down Methane Leaks from the Oil and Gas Industry: A Regulatory Roadmap and Toolkit, will examine cost-effective emissions reduction opportunities for the energy sector, particularly in oil and gas operations. The roadmap will serve as a detailed ‘how-to’ guide for policymakers and regulators seeking to increase ambition on reducing methane emissions.