World Bank Raises Alarm on 2024 Surge in Gas Flaring: A Setback to Global Climate Goals
July 19, 2025
The World Bank has sounded an urgent alarm over a disturbing reversal in the global fight against climate change: a sharp rise in gas flaring in 2024, the highest since 2007. With just five years left to meet the ambitious goal of #EndRoutineFlaring by 2030, this development poses a serious challenge to environmental sustainability and global emission reduction targets.
The 2024 Setback: Record Flaring Levels
According to recent satellite data cited by the World Bank, global gas flaring increased by 3 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2024, reaching a staggering 151 bcm. This marks the highest level in nearly two decades, effectively undoing years of progress in reducing one of the most wasteful and polluting practices in the energy industry.
Gas flaring — the burning of natural gas during oil extraction — not only wastes valuable resources but also releases large volumes of carbon dioxide and methane, both potent greenhouse gases. It is a major contributor to climate change, air pollution, and health hazards in nearby communities.
Global Flaring & Methane Reduction Partnership
In response to this critical issue, the World Bank’s Global Flaring & Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is taking action. The initiative is focused on providing:
- Grants for sustainable infrastructure and clean technology,
- Technical assistance to governments and national oil companies,
- Long-term strategies for phasing out routine flaring through innovation and policy reform.
The GFMR Partnership supports a global shift toward efficient gas utilization rather than flaring. It advocates for turning flared gas into useful energy—powering local communities, supporting economic growth, and reducing emissions.
Why Ending Routine Flaring Matters
Routine gas flaring is often the result of poor infrastructure, regulatory gaps, or lack of investment in gas capture and utilization technologies. However, ending this practice is both technically feasible and economically sensible. Captured gas can be:
- Converted into electricity,
- Used as clean cooking fuel,
- Channeled into industrial and commercial applications.
Beyond the climate benefits, eliminating routine flaring also enhances energy security, improves air quality, and boosts public health—especially in developing regions that suffer the most from pollution-related diseases.
A Call to Action
The World Bank warns that time is running out. The 2024 increase in flaring underscores the urgency to implement available solutions and scale up global cooperation. Countries, especially major oil producers, must now recommit to the 2030 goal and accelerate their transition to low-carbon energy systems.
Failure to act decisively could jeopardize not just climate targets, but also the trust and momentum built over years of international collaboration.
Conclusion
The sharp rise in gas flaring in 2024 is a wake-up call. With the tools, knowledge, and partnerships already in place, the global community must seize this moment to reverse course. The message from the World Bank is clear: ending routine flaring is not just an environmental necessity — it’s a global imperative.
