“Turkmenistan has started plugging the mega-leaks of methane that spew from its ageing oil and gas facilities, the latest UN data shows, in a move hailed as a breakthrough.

Methane, also called natural or fossil gas, is a potent greenhouse gas. It traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide and causes 25% of global heating today. Stopping leaks can be quick and cheap and, because methane breaks down in the atmosphere far quicker than CO2, this has a rapid impact, with some experts calling it the climate 'emergency brake'…

Turkmenistan had now stopped eight leaks by repairing corroded pipes, faulty wells and failing flares…

In March 2023, the Guardian revealed Turkmenistan had the most super-emitting methane leaks in the world. It then revealed in May that the methane emissions alone from the nation’s two main fossil fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the entire carbon emissions of the UK…

The findings caused a furore in Turkmenistan, prompting the government to engage with the UN, the EU and other nations and institutions to try to end the leaks, according to sources in the capital, Ashgabat. In December 2023, Turkmenistan joined the global methane pledge, two years after it had launched.”

From The Guardian.