London, 23 January – Analysis by energy think tank Ember finds that methane emissions from coking coal mines add at least 27% to the global warming effect of steelmaking.
The report published today shows that methane leaked during the extraction of metallurgical coal has an annual climate impact equivalent to nearly 990 million tonnes of CO2; more than Germany’s annual CO2 emissions, and more than the world’s gas pipelines and LNG facilities combined. As a result, methane emissions add 27% to the climate impact of the steel industry overall and in some cases methane-intensive coal can double steel’s climate impact.
“Steel producers have long ignored their methane footprint,” said Conal Campbell, a methane analyst at Ember. “The fact is, tackling methane leaks is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to reduce the climate impact of steel. As major coal buyers, steelmakers have a responsibility to work with coal companies to quickly cut these emissions.”