The agency has highlighted the importance of reducing methane emissions – something now possible due to new and affordable technologies. 

The organisation has published a report named The imperative of cutting methane from fossil fuels. The document shows that, while a drop in fossil fuel demand would cut methane emissions, these reductions by themselves would not occur fast enough to meet the world’s climate goals. 

For this reason, its authors called for additional targeted actions to tackle methane emissions from fossil fuel production and use to be implemented. These could include eliminating routine venting and flaring and repairing leaks.

Methane is far less abundant in the atmosphere than CO₂ but is responsible for around 30 per cent of the global rise in temperatures to date. Moreover, the energy sector alone accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the methane produced by human activity. 

“Immediate reductions in methane emissions are needed to limit...