Global gas flaring, the practice of burning off natural gas during oil production, has increased for the second year in a row, wasting an estimated $63 billion worth of energy in 2024 alone.
The practice not only represents a huge economic loss but also undermines efforts to reduce emissions and improve energy access worldwide.
According to the World Bank’s annual Global Gas Flaring Tracker, flaring rose to 151 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, up by 3 bcm from the previous year, the highest level recorded in nearly two decades.
Flaring releases massive volumes of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The report estimates that 389 million tonnes of COâ‚‚ equivalent were emitted in 2024 due to flaring. Alarmingly, 46 million tonnes of this came from unburnt methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases in terms of climate impact.
“When more than a billion people still don’t have access to reliable energy and numerous countries are seeking more sources of energy to meet higher demand, it’s very frustrating to see this natural resource wasted,” said Demetrios Papathanasiou, World Bank Global Director for Energy and Extractives.
Despite some countries making progress in reducing flaring, the top nine flaring countries are responsible for 75% of global flaring, even though they produce less than half of the world’s oil. The report also notes that flaring intensity, the amount of gas flared per barrel of oil, has remained high for the past 15 years.
One encouraging trend is the performance of countries committed to the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative. Since 2012, these countries have reduced their flaring intensity by 12% on average, while non signatories have seen a 25% increase in flaring.
To help countries tackle this challenge, the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is providing support through funding, technical expertise, and policy advice. In Uzbekistan, for example, the GFMR allocated $11 million to detect and repair methane leaks in its gas transport system, a project that has already cut 9,000 tonnes of methane annually, with potential reductions of up to 100,000 tonnes per year.
“Governments and operators must make flaring reduction a priority, or this practice will persist,” said Zubin Bamji, Manager of the GFMR Partnership. “The solutions exist. With effective policies, we can create favourable conditions that incentivise flaring reduction and turn this wasted gas into an engine for economic development.”
The report calls for stronger global action, policy enforcement, and private sector involvement to end routine flaring, especially in a world facing both climate challenges and energy poverty.
