Carbon Pollution Grows From Gas Flaring

Flames of Waste: A Global Crisis Fueled by the Oil Industry

Last year, the fossil fuel sector added 389 million tonnes of carbon-based pollutants to the air. This environmental damage came from the needless combustion of unwanted gas, a method known as flaring. Findings published by the World Bank reveal this massive waste of fuel. The effect on global warming is similar to France's yearly carbon emissions. This wasteful procedure is growing, even as international concerns about climate instability and energy supply security intensify. The activity demonstrates a deep-seated failure to manage resources and protect the environment. From orbit, the light from these gas flares is a powerful emblem of this continuing issue.

A Method Rooted in Convenience

Operators dispose of gases like methane that emerge during oil extraction through a technique called flaring. This procedure is standard in numerous nations, though it sometimes serves as a safety protocol to vent dangerous pressure buildups. The motivation is purely economic. Burning excess gas frequently presents a less expensive option for operators. The alternative, which involves capturing, moving, processing, and selling this gas, demands heavy investment in new infrastructure. For many companies, this upfront cost seems to eclipse the possible income from the gas, leading them to select the easier, more polluting path.

A Worsening Worldwide Issue

For a second consecutive year, the worldwide practice of gas flaring has grown. It has now hit a level not witnessed in over fifteen years, before the 2008 global financial crisis. The latest information points to a deeply concerning pattern. This is happening even with rising anxieties over both climate instability and energy supply reliability. The volume of burned gas keeps climbing. This situation reveals a gap between international climate objectives and the actual conduct of the fossil fuel extraction sector. The continuation of flaring undermines the move towards a cleaner energy system and directly conflicts with worldwide climate pledges.

The Escalating Scale of Waste

During 2024, operations for extracting oil and natural gas led to the combustion of roughly 151 billion cubic metres (bcm) of fuel. This amount represents a significant rise of 3 bcm over the preceding year. Zubin Bamji is a manager with the GFMR partnership (Global Flaring and Methane Reduction) at the World Bank, which prepared the report. He used blunt language to describe the situation, calling the practice senselessly wasteful. Bamji also pointed out that this waste represents a missed chance to bolster energy supply stability and broaden the availability of dependable electricity. The massive quantity of this lost resource holds the potential to revolutionize energy availability for millions.

Image Credit - Freepik

The Climate Impact of Unnecessary Burning

The 389 million tonnes of pollution equivalent to carbon dioxide is a major force behind climate change. A significant amount of this pollution is from unburnt methane, a greenhouse gas with a much higher short-term potency than carbon dioxide. The World Bank's analysis calculates that flaring let loose 46 million tonnes of this powerful pollutant. Over a 20-year span, methane's warming influence is over 80 times greater than CO2's. For this reason, cutting methane releases from flaring offers a rapid way to slow down the rate of global warming and achieve swift climate benefits.

Black Carbon: A Danger to the Arctic

Flaring creates another hazardous pollutant besides CO2 and methane: black carbon, also known as soot. Flaring is responsible for only a minor part of the world's black carbon, but it is the main source in the fragile Arctic. According to models, it is the origin of 42% of the black carbon pollution that settles on the Arctic surface each year. When these dark specks land on snow and ice, they diminish their reflectivity and greatly speed up melting. This sets off a harmful feedback mechanism, intensifying warming in an area that is already heating three times more rapidly than the rest of the world.

The World's Primary Flarers

A limited number of countries are the source of most of this pollution. The report names nine nations that are collectively responsible for 75 percent of the world's gas flaring activity. These are Algeria, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, the United States, and Venezuela. A worrying fact is that these nations extract less than 50% of the planet's oil, which shows their operations are excessively polluting. In the majority of these top-offending countries, oil corporations operated by the government are the main operators. This points to a systemic problem connected to national strategy and regulation, not merely the actions of private businesses.

A Story of Contrasting Systems

The difference in performance from one country to another is striking. The flaring intensity, meaning the gas volume combusted for every barrel of crude extracted, has remained stubbornly high on average for fifteen years. Still, some countries demonstrate that cleaner extraction is achievable. For instance, Norway is a top performer in clean energy extraction. The nation's flaring intensity is a mere fraction of others, lower by a factor of 18 compared to the United States and a staggering 228 times less than Venezuela's figure. This huge gap highlights the effect of robust regulations and infrastructure spending.

The Toll on Human Health

The effects of gas flaring are not limited to climate change. For populations residing close to oil fields, it represents a constant threat to their health and daily lives. An estimated two million people in Nigeria's Niger Delta are within four kilometres of a flaring location. They face perpetual exposure to toxic emissions and contaminants. Research has established a direct connection between this exposure and a range of health issues. Inhabitants frequently suffer from respiratory conditions like bronchitis and asthma, chronic skin problems, and eye discomfort. The relentless noise and light from the flares also interfere with sleep and everyday activities.

A Nigerian Community's Ordeal

The plight of the Obrikom community in the Niger Delta provides a grim illustration of flaring's human toll. Over a decade, a nearby hospital treated more than 1,300 individuals for respiratory conditions directly linked to flaring. The five-month-old baby of one resident received a bronchitis diagnosis due to the poisonous air. Studies also indicate that individuals in these areas have a 1.75 times greater likelihood of developing hypertension. The contamination affects all aspects of life, from the air they inhale and the groundwater they consume to the land used for agriculture, resulting in a widespread public health emergency.

Image Credit - Freepik

Inadequate Rules and Insufficient Drive

Commentators often protest that the regulations intended to stop unnecessary flaring lack strength. Where such rules do exist, their application is frequently lax. Companies possess minimal motivation to alter their methods, particularly when paying a small penalty for the flaring process is a cheaper option than purchasing the required capture equipment. The problem's root is frequently a deficiency of political resolve. This view is shared by Jonathan Banks, a methane specialist with the non-profit organization, the Clean Air Task Force. He states that the answers are widely recognized and frequently affordable, contending that the key missing elements are government determination and the necessary regulatory force to apply these solutions broadly.

A Staggering Squandering of Resources

The economic loss tied to flaring is immense. The gas incinerated in 2024 was worth an estimated $63 billion, valued using the European Union's import pricing metrics for that year. This forfeited income exceeds 50 percent of the total initial capital the IEA (International Energy Agency) states is required to end this activity worldwide. This one fact completely changes the perspective on the issue. Halting the practice is not merely an environmental imperative; it is also a huge economic prospect. The lost gas is comparable to the yearly gas usage of the entire African continent, where millions of people continue to lack dependable electricity.

The Financial Argument for Capture

Under the proper circumstances, ending the practice of flaring represents a financially sound decision. At big, up-to-date oil extraction facilities, capturing and marketing the associated gas can produce double-digit profits. The main obstacle is the initial expense for infrastructure like pipelines and processing facilities. The economics get trickier for smaller, more distant, or geologically intricate sites. But policy measures can alter this equation. A carbon price of about $40 per tonne could make capturing gas profitable at the majority of isolated locations. A price of $100 per tonne could almost completely stop routine flaring in a nation like the United States.

The Technology to Stop Flaring Is Here

The technical answers for stopping routine flaring are not ideas for the future; they exist now. The most widespread method is to construct gathering pipelines that take gas from various wells to a processing plant for sale. Smaller-scale technologies are becoming available for more distant locations. These feature on-site systems that turn gas into electricity (gas-to-wire), which can power the oilfield's own needs and lessen the reliance on diesel generators. Other new methods enable the gas to be compressed or liquefied on a smaller scale, which allows it to be moved by truck or train.

A Worldwide Initiative for Transformation

An international campaign is in motion to address this issue. The World Bank's initiative, titled "Zero Routine Flaring by 2030" (ZRF), motivates governments and corporations to pledge to stop this common practice before the decade ends. The outcomes reveal a distinct split. The 36 jurisdictions that support the program have successfully cut their average flaring intensity by a measure of 12 percent since 2012. In contrast, nations not taking part saw a 25% increase in their own flaring intensity during the same timeframe. This shows the significant influence of public pledges and focused policy.

Image Credit - Freepik

Eyes in the Sky Watching from Above

The effort to curb gas flaring gets help from overhead technology. The report from the World Bank uses information from satellites to approximate the volume of gas being burned globally. This information comes from satellites run by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and is interpreted in collaboration with the Payne Institute for Public Policy. This form of independent oversight prevents countries or companies from concealing the extent of their flaring. It supplies transparent and trustworthy data that makes polluters answerable and helps monitor advancement toward reduction targets.

Indicators of Improvement and Achievement

In spite of the discouraging global overview, the report points to areas of major advancement. A number of nations that produce oil have effectively lowered the quantity of gas they burn, which shows that change can happen with dedicated work. Success stories include Angola, Egypt, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan, specifically, has shown outstanding improvement. By imposing heavy financial penalties on corporations that violate regulations, the nation has achieved an impressive 71% reduction in its flaring levels from 2012. These cases offer a distinct model for other countries to adopt, merging strict rules with potent enforcement.

Corporate Promises and Public Oversight

The report is the outcome of a multifaceted collaboration. The GFMR, a body composed of governments and a number of the world's leading polluters, was responsible for its creation. Financial backing for the group comes from several sources. These include large European energy corporations like TotalEnergies, Shell, Equinor, Eni, and BP. Support also comes from key nations that produce oil, with the United Arab Emirates, Norway, and the United States providing assistance. While this partnership provides funds and industry knowledge, it also attracts close examination. Observers maintain that the industry needs to act more quickly to transform its commitments into tangible results, making its operational choices match its proclaimed climate goals and ceasing the regular waste of a precious energy resource.

The Difficult Path to 2030

The IEA has issued a directive calling for an end to all non-emergency flaring before 2030. Reaching this lofty aim involves numerous hurdles. As Zubin Bamji, who is with the World Bank, explains, cutting down on flaring requires initial capital, proper infrastructure, solid legal oversight, and continuous government commitment. The way ahead necessitates a comprehensive strategy. Governments need to establish and apply firm policies, while corporations must make the required investments a priority. International cooperation, particularly from leading oil-importing nations, is also vital to build market incentives that recognize conscientious producers and elevate standards across the board.

A Future Rid of Unnecessary Fires

The routine use of gas flaring represents an inexcusable oversight in a world contending with both a climate emergency and an energy shortage. It contaminates the air, injures human health, and wastes a resource that could drive economies and rescue people from poverty. The answers are understood, the tools are accessible, and the financial argument is getting stronger. When the essential elements of investment, regulation, and political resolve are established, a nation can achieve major reductions in its flaring activity. By doing this, they can generate fresh streams of income, enhance energy availability for their populace, and make a significant move toward a more sustainable existence.