THE NEED FOR GLOBAL COORDINATION TO REDUCE METHANE EMISSIONS.

The US is in negotiations with Turkmenistan over an agreement to plug the central Asian nation’s colossal methane leaks. Turkmenistan was responsible for 184 “super-emitter” events in which the powerful greenhouse gas was released in 2022, the highest number in the world. One caused climate pollution equivalent to the rate of emissions from 67m cars. US officials hope that some leaks from Turkmenistan’s oil and gas industry could be halted by the start of the UN’s Cop28 climate summit in late November. Success would represent a major achievement in tackling the climate crisis. It was revealed that methane leaks alone from Turkmenistan’s two main fossil fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the entire carbon emissions of the UK. Emissions of the gas were “mind-boggling” and an “infuriating” problem that should be easy to fix, experts said. It has also been revealed that Turkmenistan was the worst country in the world for methane “super emitting” leaks, based on satellite data analysis by French company Kayrros.