Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is 86 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide (CO2) over 20 years. Because large amounts leak into the atmosphere from every stage of shale gas development, transport and usage, shale gas is considered to be one of the fastest-growing causes of climate change, and worse for the climate than burning coal.  The International Energy Agency states that gas can no longer be considered a ‘transitional fuel’ to clean energy.