Sunday, April 28, 2024

To save climate, oil and gas sector must slash planet-warming operations, report says

The oil and gas sector, probably the most main emitters of planet-warming gases, will want a speedy and really extensive overhaul for the sector to steer clear of even worse excessive climate occasions fueled through human-caused local weather alternate, in step with a report launched Thursday.

The present funding of $800 billion a 12 months within the oil and gas sector will want to be minimize in part and greenhouse emissions, which outcome from the burning of fossil fuels like oil, will want to fall through 60% to offer the sector a preventing likelihood to satisfy its local weather targets, the International Energy Agency stated. Greenhouse gases cross up into the ambience and warmth the planet, resulting in a number of affects, together with excessive climate occasions.

The IEA’s report comes simply forward of the United Nations local weather convention, or COP28, which starts subsequent week. Oil and gas corporations, in addition to other folks and organizations attached to fossil fuels, frequently attend the assembly, drawing grievance from environmentalists and local weather mavens. But others say the sector must be on the desk to speak about the way to transition to cleaner power.

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“The oil and gas industry is facing a moment of truth at COP28 in Dubai,” stated Fatih Birol, government director of the IEA in a press remark at the report’s liberate. “Oil and gas producers need to make profound decisions about their future place in the global energy sector.”

Last year’s climate conference in Egypt saw 400 people connected with fossil fuel industries attending the event, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. The upcoming meeting has also come under fire for appointing the chief of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as the talks’ president.

The energy sector is responsible for over two-thirds of all human activity-related greenhouse gas emissions, and oil and gas is responsible for about half of those, according to the IEA. Oil and gas companies are also responsible for over 60% of methane emissions — a gas that traps about 87 times more heat than carbon dioxide on a 20-year timescale.

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Oil and gas companies can find alternative revenue from the clean energy economy, including hydrogen and hydrogen-based fuels and carbon capture technologies, the report said. Both clean hydrogen — made from renewable electricity — and carbon capture — which takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere — are currently untested at scale.

The report looked at climate promises made by countries as well as a scenario where the world had reached net zero emissions by 2050. It found that if countries deliver on all climate pledges, demand for oil and gas will be 45% lower than today’s level by 2050. If the world reaches net zero by then, demand would be down 75%, it said.

Earlier this year, another IEA report found that the world’s oil, gas and coal demand will likely peak by the end of this decade.

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Vibhuti Garg, a New Delhi-based energy analyst with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, said that the need for oil and gas is “bound to decline.”

“There are cheaper alternatives that are cleaner, so countries will start using those options and reduce their reliance on these expensive fuels,” she said.

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Follow Sibi Arasu on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @sibi123 ___

Associated Press local weather and environmental protection receives beef up from a number of personal foundations. See extra about AP’s local weather initiative right here. The AP is simply liable for all content material.

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