BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 2. Turkmen President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has instructed the government to step up international cooperation aimed at reducing methane emissions from the country’s oil and gas sector.
The directive followed a briefing by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Guvanch Agajanov on practical measures to expand international partnerships on methane emissions reduction and the utilization of captured methane, according to a statement released by the Turkmen government’s press service.
According to the report, state concerns Turkmengaz and Turkmennebit are working in this area, including through cooperation with leading foreign companies under a relevant World Bank project. This engagement is intended to support the implementation of specific environmental measures during production operations.
Against this backdrop, in an exclusive interview with Trend the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said that eight methane emission sources in Turkmenistan had been successfully mitigated and remained under monitoring. The sources were linked to leaks in pipelines, gas wells and flaring equipment.
"UNEP estimates that the eight sources in Turkmenistan had emitted over 27,000 tonnes of methane before they were addressed. The near-term climate impact of these emissions was equivalent to the climate impact of over 500,000 passenger vehicles driven for one year," the organization said.
UNEP noted that its International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) has been working directly with stakeholders in Turkmenistan since 2023, sharing alerts through its satellite-based Methane Alert and Response System (MARS). The organization also highlighted cooperation with GIZ, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to strengthen national capacity for methane emissions management.
