IEA reports higher Australian coalmine methane emissions
A new IEA Global Methane Tracker report says Australian coalmines, especially in Queensland and New South Wales, emitted 1.7m tonnes of methane in 2025, more than double the government figure of 0.82Mt reported under the UN climate agreement. The IEA estimate includes satellite-measured releases, which the government does not use. Climate and energy analysts said the gap shows serious underreporting and strengthens the case for rapid cuts to coalmine methane. The issue matters because methane has driven about 30% of global heating since the Industrial Revolution and is about 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years.
IEA estimates double Australia's official coalmine methane figure.
Context
Australia reports methane data under a UN climate agreement. The IEA used satellite data…
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