Eni aims to reach almost zero methane emissions by 2030

MILAN (Reuters) - Italian energy group Eni aims to reduce its methane emissions to almost zero by 2030, as part of an effort by a group of twelve oil and gas companies to limit the release of the gas into the atmosphere.

Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide and in the short term has a far higher warming effect, despite having a much shorter lifespan in the world's atmosphere than other gases.

Eni has more than halved its methane emissions compared with 2018 levels and will almost eliminate them by the end of the decade, its CEO Claudio Descalzi said at an event late on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini, editing by Gavin Jones)