The International Energy Agency said LNG emissions could be slashed by over 60% using today's technology—if investors pony up roughly $100 billion, the agency's latest report shows.
The IEA pegs annual greenhouse gases from the global liquefied natural gas supply chain at about 350 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent and estimates $100 billion in upfront capital would fund electrification, methane-leak mitigation and CCUS across all viable LNG facilities.
Roughly 70% of those emissions come from CO₂ released during combustion or venting, while the remaining 30% stems from unburnt methane slipping into the atmosphere.
Despite cleaner life-cycle footprints—more than 99% of LNG consumed in 2024 emits less than coal and on average yields about 25% lower emissions—the IEA warns that comparing LNG only to coal “sets the bar too low” given broader decarbonization opportunities.
Beyond electrification and CCUS, boosting process efficiency and deploying carbon capture at liquefaction plants could drive down both CO₂ and methane output. Major LNG producers like Shell (SHEL, Financial), ExxonMobil (XOM, Financial), TotalEnergies (TTE, Financial) and Chevron (CVX, Financial) are positioned to benefit from, or be challenged by, the shift toward cleaner operations.
Why it matters: Energy investors need to weigh potential returns from financing clean-tech upgrades against regulatory pressure and emerging carbon-pricing regimes that could penalize high-emission producers.
Closing: Markets will be watching next month's shareholder meetings at SHEL, XOM and CVX for any new clean-energy commitments or capital-allocation shifts to back the IEA's $100 billion roadmap.
