Politics and technology are pushing oil firms to cut methane

Most discussions about climate change revolve around carbon dioxide. But that is not the only greenhouse gas. As delegates gather in Dubai for the COP28 summit, an annual UN-sponsored climate chinwag, much attention will be focused on methane instead.

Unlike carbon dioxide, which lingers in the air for centuries, methane hangs around for only a decade or so. But during that time it prevents more than 80 times as much heat from escaping. Nearly 45% of the difference between the world’s temperature in the 2010s and its temperature in the second half of the 19th century was due to methane’s warming effects. Methane emissions can often be cut cheaply. But until recently few have bothered to try.