Committed to sustainable planet – The Peninsula

Committed to sustainable planet – The Peninsula

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), methane is the primary contributor to the formation of ground-level ozone, a hazardous air pollutant and greenhouse gas, exposure to which causes one million premature deaths every year.

Methane is usually emitted during coal, natural gas, and oil production and transport. Its emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices, land use and the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills. According to statistics, 50-65% of methane emissions come from human activities globally.

In February, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that methane is responsible for around 30% of the rise in global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Though it dissipates faster than carbon dioxide, it is a much more potent greenhouse gas. Hence, quick and sustained emission reductions are crucial to limiting near-term warming and improving air quality.

Qatar is a global leader in tackling methane emissions as it has achieved impressive progress in reducing methane intensity in the energy sector over the past decade. Earlier this year, Qatar endorsed the Global Methane Pledge.

Yesterday, QatarEnergy announced it had joined the Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative -- an industry-led initiative that aims to reach near-zero methane emissions from operated oil and