A recent scientific study published in Science Nordic shows that the coal-to-gas shift is not only central to achieving greenhouse gas reductions, but that the risk of methane leakage is considerably smaller than the climate benefits of such a transition.

In the study titled “Asserting the climate benefits of the coal-to-gas shift across temporal and spatial scales,” researchers say that a lot can be done to save the climate by switching from coal to natural gas.

One of the study’s authors is professor Francesco Cherubini of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Using advanced measuring methods, the authors present a solid case showing from both short and long-term perspectives, the climate benefits from a coal-to-gas shift are considerable.

“We’ve looked more closely at the implications of replacing coal with natural gas and considered the entire spectrum of emissions, possible methane leakage rates and other emissions – and used up-to-date climate indicators,” says Cherubini.

He continues, “Switching from coal to natural gas can help us with the transition to a low-carbon society and get us on the right track in terms of climate challenges.”

Read Cherubini’s blog post on the topic.