"Methane leaks from planned coal mines around the world could have a bigger climate impact than carbon emissions from U.S. coal plants, a research group said on Thursday, detailing what it said was an overlooked source of planet-warming emissions.

Despite efforts by governments to crack down on fossil fuels, nonprofit Global Energy Monitor said in a report there are more than 430 proposed coal mines in the world which are likely to emit large amounts of methane, the second biggest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide.

The countries with the highest amount respectively of potential methane emissions from planned coal mines are China, Australia, Russia, India, South Africa, the United States and Canada, it said."

Timothy Gardner reports for Reuters March 18, 2021. [2]