Global Methane Report Shows Progress, but Targets Remain Far
Belém, Brazil: The Global Methane Status Report, released on the sidelines of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30), indicates that while progress has been made in reducing methane emissions since the launch of the Global Methane Pledge in 2021, the pace of action remains insufficient to meet the Pledge’s 2030 target.
Produced jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the report provides a comprehensive assessment of global efforts to curb methane, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for nearly one-third of current global warming. It finds that although methane emissions are still increasing, projected emissions for 2030 under current legislation are lower than earlier forecasts, due to a combination of national policies, sectoral regulations, and market trends.
The report emphasises that achieving the Global Methane Pledge target — a 30 per cent reduction in methane emissions from 2020 levels by 2030 — will require full-scale deployment of proven and technically feasible control measures. Ministers attending the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial highlighted that the technologies, policies, and partnerships necessary to achieve the target are available but must be scaled up rapidly across the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. They also called for greater transparency from countries to track ambition and progress.
The assessment shows that national action plans and Nationally Determined Contributions, submitted by mid-2025, could lead to an 8 per cent reduction by 2030, which would mark the largest sustained decline in methane emissions in history if fully implemented. Despite these gains, the report warns that faster and broader implementation is necessary to meet the Pledge’s goal.
Methane reduction solutions identified in the report include leak detection and repair programs, plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, water management for rice cultivation, and source separation and treatment of organic waste. Over 80 per cent of the 2030 emission reduction potential can be achieved at low cost, with measures in the energy sector accounting for 72 per cent of overall mitigation potential, followed by waste at 18 per cent and agriculture at 10 per cent. The report notes that fully deploying these reductions could prevent over 180,000 premature deaths and avoid 19 million tonnes of crop losses annually by 2030, while measures in the fossil fuel sector could be implemented at just 2 per cent of the sector’s 2023 income.
The report also underscores the central role of major economies. Seventy-two per cent of global methane mitigation potential lies within the G20 and other major economies, where emissions could fall by 36 per cent by 2030 compared with 2020 levels. Stronger measurement, reporting, and finance are highlighted as essential to close investment gaps, track progress, and target major emission sources effectively.
Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Co-Convener of the Global Methane Pledge, described the report as “a crucial assessment of our progress and a key indicator of the work that’s required to meet the Global Methane Pledge goal.” She emphasised that continued collaboration among countries is necessary to transform ambition into tangible benefits for both people and the planet.
European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen noted that the Pledge has demonstrated that methane reductions are achievable across sectors and regions, providing cleaner air and economic benefits. Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, added that methane mitigation is one of the most immediate and effective ways to slow climate change while protecting human health and food security.
The report concludes that the decisions made over the next five years will be decisive in determining whether the world can seize the opportunity to reduce methane emissions, achieve cleaner air, strengthen economies, and secure a safer climate for future generations.
– global bihari bureau
