Gas flaring: An emission that escapes global attention

News: According to a World Bank report, the gas flaring has hit the highest level in a decade mostly due to an increase in three countries — the United States, Venezuela and Russia.

Facts:

• Gas Flaring: In chemical factories, oil refineries, oil wells and landfills, gaseous waste products and even non-waste gases produced are routed to an elevated vertical chimney called a gas flare and burnt off at its tip. This is called gas flaring. 
• Why is gas flaring done? Waste gases are subjected to such a process either because the gases are waste or it is difficult to store and transport them.Non-waste gases are burnt off to protect the processing equipment when unexpected high pressure develops within them. 
• Harmful Effects: Gas flaring in oil rigs and wells contribute significantly to greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

Additional Facts:

• Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership(GGFR): It is a public private initiative managed by the World Bank that aims to end gas flaring at oil production sites across the world by helping remove barriers to flaring reduction, conducting research, sharing best practices among others.
• Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 Initiative: It was launched by the World Bank in 2015 to eliminate the existing oil industry practice of routinely flaring gas at production sites by 2030.