Today, a monograph titled “Methane and climate changes: scientific challenges and technological aspects” prepared on the basis of the joint work of Gazprom employees and the Russian Academy of Sciences was presented at the 4th Russian conference “Turbulence, Atmosphere and Climate Dynamics.”

It is noted in the monograph that such objects of nature as swamps, the ocean, ruminants, and termites constitute a significant source of methane emissions. As for human-caused methane emissions, more than half of them occur as a result of agricultural activities: rice-growing, cattle breeding, as well as the fermentation of waste.

The global oil and gas industry accounts for about 10 per cent of the total amount of methane emissions. The studies show that Gazprom's supplies of natural gas generate a minimal methane footprint. According to the estimate data obtained, methane emissions from the Company's activities made up as little as 0.2 per cent of the global methane emissions in 2021. This fact confirms that the Company's operations do not have a significant influence on the global balance of methane in the atmosphere.

The monograph also analyzes the potential influence of hydrogen on global warming for a 100-year time horizon: according to experts, leakages of 1 ton of hydrogen are equivalent to 11 tons of CO2. That is, hydrogen belongs to the category of indirect greenhouse gases.

The research work also provides a comparative assessment of methane emissions observed in different countries, including methane emissions resulting from operations with oil and gas. Experts note that, according to the national inventories submitted to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, methane emissions generated, for example, during gas production in the US are 18 times higher than those in Russia.