For the third consecutive year, global gas flaring increased in 2025, highlighting persistent barriers to capturing associated gas and opportunities to improve energy security and reduce waste amid rising environmental and economic concerns.
Global gas flaring rose for a third straight year in 2025, underscoring how far the oil sector still has to go in turning wasted associated gas into usable energy. According to the World Bank’s latest Global Gas Flaring Tracker, volumes climbed to 167 billion cubic metres last year, the highest level since 2019.
The scale is striking. The gas burned off in 2025 was worth about US$54 billion and, the World Bank said, could have helped power homes and industry, supported jobs, cut import bills and expanded access to electricity and clean cooking in countries still facing acute energy shortages. The report also says the amount flared was larger than the volume of LNG that passed through the Persian Gulf that year, and roughly equal to Africa’s annual gas consumption.
For industrial economies, flaring is more than an emissions problem; it is a mark of poor asset utilisation. The World Bank argues that capturing associated gas can strengthen energy security, particularly in developing oil producers where power shortages, fuel imports and weak industrial infrastructure often reinforce one another. In sub-Saharan Africa, where outages are already a drag on growth, the institution has previously linked power cuts to a 14% fall in employment, illustrating the wider economic cost of unreliable energy.
The economics are not straightforward, but they are increasingly familiar. The World Bank says the upfront investment needed to eliminate routine flaring globally would be about US$70 billion to US$100 billion, more than the annual value of the gas being wasted, yet still within the range of what large producers and financiers can mobilise if regulation, infrastructure and market access are in place. Zubin Bamji of the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction partnership said the issue is not a lack of available technology, but barriers such as pipeline capacity, underdeveloped gas markets, financing constraints and weak enforcement.
There are, however, clear signs that policy and infrastructure can move the numbers. The United States recorded the largest absolute fall in flaring in 2025, cutting volumes by 0.4 bcm, or 7%, helped by the commissioning of the Matterhorn Express pipeline in the Permian Basin. Kazakhstan has delivered a much larger structural shift, reducing flaring by 87% since 2012 through a combination of regulation, investment and sustained political pressure.
The latest tracker, published by the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction partnership with the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, uses an updated methodology based on data from three NOAA satellites, alongside a refined flare-location catalogue and calibration approach. That should improve confidence in the trend line, but not soften the message: the world is still burning a commercially valuable fuel that could be serving grids, industry and households instead.
The findings also place fresh pressure on the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative, launched by the World Bank a decade ago and now backed by dozens of governments and oil companies. With 2025 marking another increase rather than a decline, the gap between pledges and operational reality remains wide.
- https://tanzaniatimes.net/global-gas-flaring-sends-usd-54-billion-up-in-smoke/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security – The World Bank’s 2026 Global Gas Flaring Tracker reveals that global gas flaring increased for the third consecutive year in 2025, reaching 167 billion cubic meters (bcm), the highest level since 2019. This surge in flaring undermines energy security, economic growth, and job creation, as the flared gas could have been utilised to power homes and industries, create jobs, and reduce import bills. The report highlights the need for urgent action from policymakers, operators, and investors to address this issue.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2025/07/18/global-gas-flaring-hits-highest-level-since-2007-undermining-energy-security-access-and-emissions-goals – In 2025, global gas flaring surged to 151 bcm, the highest level since 2007, according to the World Bank. This increase resulted in the emission of 389 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, including 46 million tonnes from unburnt methane. The report underscores the need for effective policies and regulations, targeted investment, and leadership to reduce flaring and mitigate its impact on energy security and emissions goals.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/gas-flaring-explained – The World Bank provides an overview of gas flaring, explaining that it involves the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction. This practice leads to the emission of greenhouse gases and represents a significant waste of energy resources. The World Bank is actively working to reduce gas flaring through various initiatives and partnerships aimed at capturing and utilising associated gas to improve energy security and reduce emissions.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/zero-routine-flaring-by-2030 – The Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 (ZRF) initiative, launched by the World Bank in 2015, commits governments and oil companies to end routine flaring no later than 2030. The initiative aims to eliminate the practice of flaring associated gas during oil extraction, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency. As of 2026, 36 governments and 60 oil companies have endorsed the ZRF initiative.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction – The Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership is a multi-donor trust fund supported by governments, companies, and multilateral organizations committed to ending routine gas flaring and reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. GFMR provides catalytic grant funding, technical assistance, policy and regulatory reform advisory services, capacity building, and institutional strengthening for methane and flaring reduction projects.
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/global-flaring-data – The World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker is a leading global and independent indicator of gas flaring. The tracker provides annual reports on global gas flaring volumes, intensity, and trends, offering insights into the scale of gas flaring worldwide and the progress made towards achieving the Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The article references the World Bank’s Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report, published on June 23, 2026. ([worldbank.org](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security?utm_source=openai)) The Tanzania Times article was published on June 28, 2026, indicating timely reporting. However, the article’s content closely mirrors the World Bank’s press release, suggesting it may be based on the press release. This is common for news outlets to report on such releases, but it raises concerns about originality and potential lack of independent verification.
Quotes check
Score:
6
Notes:
The article includes direct quotes attributed to Zubin Bamji, Manager at the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership. These quotes are also present in the World Bank’s press release. ([worldbank.org](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security?utm_source=openai)) The repetition of these quotes across multiple sources suggests they may have been directly sourced from the press release, raising concerns about the originality and independent verification of the quotes.
Source reliability
Score:
5
Notes:
The Tanzania Times is a lesser-known publication, which may affect the reliability of the information presented. The article heavily relies on the World Bank’s press release, which is a reputable source. However, the lack of additional independent sources or verification raises concerns about the depth and accuracy of the reporting.
Plausibility check
Score:
7
Notes:
The claims about global gas flaring increasing to 167 billion cubic meters in 2025, resulting in an estimated $54 billion worth of gas being wasted, align with the World Bank’s findings. ([worldbank.org](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security?utm_source=openai)) The article also mentions Kazakhstan’s 87% reduction in flaring since 2012, which is consistent with the World Bank’s report. ([worldbank.org](https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2026/06/23/global-gas-flaring-rises-energy-security?utm_source=openai)) However, the lack of additional independent verification or sources raises questions about the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the reporting.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): FAIL
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM
Summary:
The article closely mirrors the World Bank’s press release, raising concerns about originality and independent verification. The reliance on a single source without additional independent verification affects the reliability and depth of the reporting. The lack of independent sources and the derivative nature of the content contribute to a lower confidence in the article’s overall accuracy and reliability.
