‘Wake-up call’: methane emissions from Australian coalmines more than double official estimates, report finds

Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from Australian coalmines are more than double official government estimates reported to the UN, according to a new International Energy Agency report. Climate and energy analysts said the report had again highlighted an “enormous gap” in the country’s reported methane emissions from coalmines and should serve as a wake-up call. The IEA’s Global Methane Tracker report released on Monday said Australia’s coalmines, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, emitted 1.7m tonnes of methane in 2025. The government’s latest emissions data compiled under the UN’s international agreement on climate change shows Australia’s coalmines emitted 0.82Mt of methane – equivalent to 25m tonnes of carbon dioxide. The IEA’s data includes methane releases measured by satellites – a method not used by the government. Previous IEA reports have looked at Australia’s coal and gas sector and found methane emissions could be 60% higher than official reports. Dr Sabina Assan, a methane analyst at energy thinktank Ember, said the IEA estimate showed “once again that methane emissions from Australia’s coal sector remain drastically under-reported”. …