Dash for gas imperils 1.5C climate goal: report

Dash for gas imperils 1.5C climate goal: report

Sharm el Sheikh - The global scramble for natural gas after Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, scientists said Thursday on the sidelines of UN climate talks in Egypt.

Projected emissions from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) projects under construction, approved and proposed up to 2050 would eat up a big chunk of humanity's carbon budget for a 1.5C world, analysis from research NGO Climate Action Tracker showed.

The energy crisis spurred by restricted supply from Russia has seen a major push to expanded LNG production and import capacity in Europe, Africa, North America, Asia and Australia.

"The world has overreached in its bid to respond to the energy crisis," said Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics, which contributed to the report.

"Our analysis shows proposed, approved and under construction LNG far exceeds what's needed to replace Russian gas."

In 2030, LNG could surge 500 million tonnes, equivalent to nearly five times the European Union's 2021 Russian gas imports, and double total global Russian exports.

The resulting emissions -- some two billion tonnes of CO2 every year by 2030 -- is incompatible with pathways to a carbon neutral world by mid-century, including one laid out by