The fossil fuel industry is responsible for more than a third of the world’s methane pollution , and its emissions show no sign of falling. According to a new report, fixing methane leaks at oil and gas sites is not only essential to curbing global warming, but could also bolster energy security amid the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran . The International Energy Agency’s Global Methane Tracker 2026 report, published Monday, estimates that oil, gas, and coal production—which reached record levels in 2025—emits 124 million metric tons of methane per year. Harnessing those emissions could make more than 7 trillion cubic feet (200 billion cubic meters) of natural gas available to the global energy sector annually. The IEA acknowledges that it would take time to build the necessary equipment and infrastructure to achieve such massive additions, but the potential is there.…