Pertamina Says ASCOPE Forum Could Accelerate Methane Emissions Cuts

Sanur, Bali (ANTARA) — PT Pertamina (Persero) says the 51st ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE) forum could accelerate methane-emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector.

“I hope this forum can also act as a driver or catalyst for accelerating various emissions-reduction initiatives,” Wahyu Dwi Astuti, a representative of Pertamina’s Sustainability Division, said at the forum in Sanur, Bali, on Monday.

One way to speed up methane-reduction initiatives is to strengthen national policies and exchange experience between countries.

She said mitigation efforts needed to be comprehensive and take account of the contributions made by different sectors to emissions across ASEAN.

“Petronas has shown quite good progress. It also has clear drivers, including impetus from national regulations,” she said.

Presentations at the forum showed that the energy sector accounts for about 26 per cent of emissions in ASEAN, while agriculture and waste account for about 46 per cent. The oil and gas sector contributes around 10 per cent of the total emissions cited in the presentation.

“If we want to reduce emissions across ASEAN, we must move forward together in all these sectors,” Astuti said.

Astuti said Pertamina was committed to reducing methane emissions and had received support from partners, including the World Bank and JOGMEC (Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security).

“We are grateful to have the support of partners such as the World Bank and JOGMEC,” Astuti said.

In its presentation on the Global Methane Tracker 2026, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that methane emissions from fossil fuels reached around 124 million tonnes in 2025.

Globally, the IEA estimates that mitigating methane emissions from oil and gas operations could increase gas availability on the market by nearly 100 billion cubic metres in 2026.

Ending non-emergency gas flaring could potentially unlock a further 100 billion cubic metres of gas.

“Amid the ongoing energy crisis, tackling methane emissions can help countries improve the security of their gas supplies,” said Sadhika Gulati, legal counsel and regulatory analyst at the IEA.