Natural gas use prevents millions of tons of carbon emissions in Colombia

The Colombian Natural Gas Association, known as Naturgas, reported that the use of natural gas helped avoid 19.67 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2025. This reduction occurred as the gas replaced other fuels like coal, diesel, fuel oil, gasoline, and LPG in transportation, industrial activities, household use, and thermal power generation.

The industry successfully lowered its total greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain by 35.4% compared to 2022.

The report shows these emissions dropped from 2.88 million tons of CO2 equivalent to 1.86 million tons of CO2 equivalent. While these figures show progress, the sector currently faces a structural supply deficit and a decline in proven reserves. The natural gas sector's emissions remain a small portion of the national total, accounting for approximately 0.71% of Colombia's inventory in 2024.

However, the methane intensity of the Colombian sector reached 0.31% in 2025, which is slightly higher than the 0.28% reported for the United States in 2024. Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development Fabio Arjona stated that the country lost its self-sufficiency in natural gas during the previous government. He claimed this loss forced many industries to switch to more polluting fuels, which increased national emissions.

He argued that the energy transition requires a gradual shift toward cleaner fuels to meet climate goals. Luz Stella Murgas, president of Naturgas, noted that the industry continues to implement energy efficiency projects and technologies to reduce emissions from production to delivery.