‘Breakthrough’ as Turkmenistan starts fixing ‘mindboggling’ methane mega-leaks

Flares burning off methane and other hydrocarbons in Texas. The US was sent 138 UN alerts to methane plumes in the last year but responded to none and fixed no leaks. Photograph: David Goldman/AP

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”.