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Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Answer

Mr. Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of the percentage of worldwide methane emissions that arise from the (a) processing, (b) transmission, (c) storage and (d) distribution of natural gas in the UK; [211302] (2) what estimate she has made of the annual level of methane emission in the UK arising from the (a) processing, (b) transmission, (c) storage and (d) distribution of natural gas for each of the last five years; [211304] (3) what international comparisons she has made of the annual level of methane emissions arising from the (a) processing, (b) transmission, (c) storage and (d) distribution of natural gas. [211305] Mr. Morley :[holding answer 27 January 2005]: These categories of emissions are counted together in the UK greenhouse gas inventory under the entry for Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution. The table shows data for the years 1998 to 2002 inclusive. UK emissions of methane from natural gas transmission and distribution _________________________________________________________________________________________________. (thousand tonnes of methane) 1998 348.7 1999 349.0 2000 335.6 2001 342.8 2002 338.6 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. These estimates represent around 1.3 per cent. of global anthropogenic methane emissions for these categories of emissions for the years in question, and these emissions in turn are estimated to have been around 10 per cent. of total global anthropogenic methane over the same time period. The international comparisons draw on data compiled by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

430 c1212-3W; 211302;211304;211305

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Air pollution Pollution Natural gas Methane

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk