Electricity and heat production make up about three-fourths of the energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The “Other Energy” emissions (mostly methane) are associated with producing, transmitting, and refining coal, gas, and oil. These sources accounted for approximately six percent of global emissions in 2019. Although most of the emissions occur during fossil fuel mining and production, leaks during transmission are another source of emissions. Stopping these leaks is cost-saving and it reduces emissions from methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that’s about 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a hundred-year period, but most of its impact is concentrated in a single decade. So stopping these leaks can result in a ‘quick win’ for reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Project Drawdown has assessed the potential impact of one solution in this sector: Methane Leak Management.
Sector Summary
