Estimation of greenhouse gas emissions from Iran's gas flaring by using satellite data and combustion equations.

This article focuses on quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions from gas flaring in Iran using a novel computational model that integrates satellite data on flare volumes, gas compositions, and combustion stoichiometry. Iran ranks third globally in gas flaring, responsible for about 12.1% of the world’s total, emitting approximately 50 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually in 2021, which accounts for 5.5%–6% of the country’s total GHG emissions. The study highlights significant uncertainties in emission factors due to limited direct measurements and shows that improving flare combustion and destruction efficiencies can substantially reduce emissions, potentially lowering the global warming potential by nearly 50%. It also underscores the importance of fair international cooperation and financial access under the Paris Agreement to enable Iran to mitigate flaring emissions effectively, which would benefit both global climate goals and regional environmental and public health.