In The Dark: underreporting of coal mine methane is a major climate risk

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Introduction

Coal’s dirty secret

Coal mining globally releases millions of tonnes of methane every year, a potent greenhouse gas which adds to coal’s considerable climate impact. Even though coal operators know exactly where their methane leaks are, accurate measurement or reporting of them is rarely required, leaving governments in the dark about this hidden climate multiplier.

Coal is known to be ‘dirty’ because of the emissions and pollution produced when it is burnt to produce electricity and steel. However, the climate impact of burning coal is considerably larger once we factor in the methane emissions associated with mining it.

Methane is trapped inside and embedded throughout coal seams, and is released to the atmosphere before, during and after mining. As a potent and fast-acting greenhouse gas, it is 82.5 times more powerful than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere, and 29.8 times more powerful when averaged over 100 years. This is why methane has important implications for climate change, particularly in the near-term.

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1: Global Assessment