"LONDON - Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane coming from the global energy sector are 70% higher than officially reported, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday, with the coal sector identified as the biggest single source.

In its 2022 Global Methane Tracker report, the Paris-based watchdog said the world needed to step up its monitoring efforts and policy action to curtail emissions of the polluting gas.

Contributions from the coal industry to the problem had been logged for the first time, topping the other major parts of the fossil fuel sector at 42 million tonnes (Mt), followed by 41 Mt and 39 Mt from oil and natural gas respectively.

The report provides the first ever comprehensive emissions estimates for each country, in which some possible signs of progress reining in the problem were seen."

Noah Browning reports for Reuters February 23, 2022. [2]