The fossil fuel industry channeled an additional 389 million tonnes of carbon dioxide pollutants into the atmosphere with unnecessary burning of gas, a “huge waste” that warms the planet as much as France, according to a World Bank report.

Burning is a way to get rid of gases such as methane that occur when pumping oil from the ground. This practice is a routine in many countries, because it is often cheaper to burn gas than to be collected, transported, processed and sold, the Guardian notes.

According to the report, global gas burning has increased for the second consecutive year and has reached the highest level since 2007, despite increasing concerns about energy safety and climate disaster.

It was found that 151 billion cubic meters (BCM) of natural gas were burned during oil and gas production in 2024, increased by 3bcm compared to the previous year.

“Burning gases is unnecessary waste,” said Zubin Bamji, director of the World Bank’s World Bank to reduce the combustion of gas and methane (GFMRP), which compiled the report. “It is a missed opportunity to enhance energy security and improve access to reliable energy,” he said.

Weak rules

In many cases, as analysts complain, the rules to prevent unnecessary combustion are weak and not adequately implemented, and companies have little incentives to stop doing so because they do not have to pay for the pollution they are causing.

The report found that nine countries – Russia, Iran, Iraq, the US, Venezuela, Algeria, Libya, Mexico and Nigeria – were responsible for three -quarters of all gas combustion in 2024.

Despite efforts to stop this practice, the intensity of combustion – the tumor that has been launched per barrel of oil produced – has remained “persistently high” over the last 15 years, according to the report.

According to data, the burning intensity in Norway, one of the cleanest oil and gas producers, is 18 times lower than in the US and 228 times lower than in Venezuela.

Andrew Baxter, an oil and gas expert at the non -profit Environmental Defense Fund, said it was “deeply frustrating” to see a return to 2007 natural gas combustion levels.

“Such levels of combustion are a blatant waste of resources,” he added. “They are catastrophic for climate and human health,” he said.

The International Energy Agency has called for the elimination of any combustion except in emergency cases by 2030.

Jonathan Banks, a methane expert in the non -profit organization Clean Air Task Force, said the solutions are known and often costly. “What is missing is political will and regulatory pressure to implement them on a scale.”

The exhibition highlighted areas of progress, highlighting some oil and gas producers, such as Angola, Egypt, Indonesia and Kazakhstan, which successfully reduced the amount of gas burning.

Kazakhstan, which has imposed high fines on companies that violate the rules, has reduced combustion by 71% since 2012.