WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN FLAWS OF FOSSIL GAS?

The report details the environmental and health risks of fossil gas, highlighting that methane leaks can make gas more harmful to the climate than coal. It specifically critiques shale gas for its high water consumption, chemical contamination, and carcinogenic emissions, while noting that gas combustion contributes to millions of deaths globally through air pollution. Reclaim Finance recommends that financial institutions cease all support for fossil gas expansion.

• Fossil gas is a high-emitting energy source throughout its life cycle, with combustion accounting for the majority of emissions. Shale gas, which represents 21% of global production and approximately 23% of European consumption, is significantly more emitting than conventional gas, with wells leaking up to 8% of methane during their operational life.
• Methane is 83 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. If methane leaks during the life cycle of fossil gas exceed 4%, using gas for electricity generation becomes more damaging to the climate than using coal over a 20-year timeframe.
• The hydraulic fracturing ('fracking') used for shale gas extraction poses severe environmental and health risks. It consumes vast amounts of water—averaging 19 million litres per well in the U.S.—and uses chemical agents that can contaminate aquifers. Additionally, it releases carcinogens like benzene and causes air pollution linked to cancer, respiratory problems, and dizziness, particularly in children.
• Combustion of fossil gas releases pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, leading to chronic bronchitis and asthma. Globally, air pollution from fossil fuels, including gas, is attributed to 5 million deaths annually. In Europe, gas combustion for electricity production caused 2,864 deaths in 2019, primarily due to particulate matter.

APA

Reclaim Finance (n.d.). WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN FLAWS OF FOSSIL GAS? https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/What-are-the-hidden-flaws-of-fossil-gas.pdf

Chicago

Reclaim Finance. WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN FLAWS OF FOSSIL GAS? n.d. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/What-are-the-hidden-flaws-of-fossil-gas.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Reclaim Finance |title=WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN FLAWS OF FOSSIL GAS? |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/What-are-the-hidden-flaws-of-fossil-gas.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{reclaimfinancendwhat, author = {{Reclaim Finance}}, title = {{WHAT ARE THE HIDDEN FLAWS OF FOSSIL GAS?}}, institution = {Reclaim Finance}, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/What-are-the-hidden-flaws-of-fossil-gas.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }