Example
A facility might replace venting equipment or repair leaking components.
The catch
The benefit depends on what would have happened without the intervention.
Related terms
Methane, Venting, Anthropogenic methane, Biogenic methane, Flaring, Fossil methane
In more depth
Methane abatement, explained.
Methane abatement options differ sharply by sector, and so does their cost. In oil and gas, the IEA finds that many measures cost little or pay for themselves, since gas kept in the pipe can be sold. Typical steps include regular leak surveys, swapping gas-driven pneumatic devices for electric ones and capturing gas that would otherwise be vented. Waste offers food-waste diversion and gas collection at landfills. Agriculture has fewer ready options, and feed additives, manure handling and water management in rice paddies vary in results from farm to farm.
Check the unit behind any claim. Absolute tonnes avoided matter to the atmosphere, while a falling methane intensity can hide rising totals. The abatement cost per tonne helps rank options, but it depends on gas prices and on the counterfactual used.