The Climate Impact of Leaks: Natural Gas on Par with Coal, Study Finds

A new study has found that natural gas can be just as harmful to the climate as coal unless companies can significantly reduce the leaks that occur during its production and transportation. Even a small leak of 0.2 percent can make natural gas as detrimental to the climate as coal. The study challenges the notion that natural gas can serve as a transitional fuel to a renewable energy future. Natural gas is primarily composed of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and there is mounting evidence that methane leaks from gas systems are more significant than previously thought. The study highlights the need to invest in renewable energy infrastructure rather than relying on natural gas as a solution to global warming.