Ministers Call for Urgent Methane Action as New Global Report Shows Progress and Persistent Gaps

Belém, Brazil, 18 November 2025 — The Global Methane Status Report, launched on Monday, 17th November, on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, shows that while considerable progress has been made since the Global Methane Pledge was introduced in 2021, significant effort is still required to meet the level of ambition needed to achieve the Pledge’s targets.

Produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the Global Methane Status Report provides a comprehensive assessment of progress and remaining gaps in efforts to cut methane, a potent greenhouse gas responsible for nearly a third of current global warming.

The report finds that although methane emissions continue to rise, projected 2030 emissions under current legislation are now lower than earlier forecasts. This is due to a combination of national policies, sectoral regulations, and market shifts. However, the report cautions that only full-scale implementation of proven and available mitigation measures will close the gap to the Global Methane Pledge target of a 30% reduction from 2020 levels by 2030.

Urging decisive action to meet the Global Methane Pledge, ministers attending the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial emphasized that the policies, technologies, and partnerships needed to deliver the target already exist. They stressed the need for rapid scale-up across the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors, and called for greater transparency from countries to track ambition and action.

The Global Methane Status Report provides the clearest picture yet of progress since the Pledge was launched, noting that:

• Emissions are rising, but the outlook is improving: Global methane emissions continue to increase, but new waste regulations in Europe and North America, coupled with slower growth in natural gas markets between 2020 and 2024, have lowered projected emission levels. Under current legislation, further reductions are expected by 2030 compared with 2021 forecasts.
• National action could deliver historic progress: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Methane Action Plans submitted by mid-2025 could lead to an 8% reduction below 2020 levels by 2030. If fully implemented, this would represent the largest and most sustained decline in methane emissions in history.
• Meeting the 2030 target requires rapid ambition: Achieving a 30% reduction by 2030 will require full implementation of maximum technically feasible reductions globally.
• Solutions are ready and cost-effective: Proven measures, including leak detection and repair programmes, plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, improved water management for rice cultivation, and better separation and treatment of organic waste, must be rapidly scaled up. Over 80% of the 2030 emissions reduction potential can be achieved at low cost. The energy sector accounts for 72% of overall mitigation potential, followed by waste (18%) and agriculture (10%).
• Benefits outweigh the costs: Fully implementing these measures globally could prevent more than 180,000 premature deaths and 19 million tonnes of crop losses each year by 2030. All fossil fuel–related mitigation could be deployed at just 2% of the sector’s 2023 income.
• Major economies and better data are crucial: Seventy-two percent of global methane mitigation potential lies in G20+ countries, where emissions could fall by 36% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels across agriculture, waste, and fossil fuels. Strengthened measurement, reporting, and finance are essential to track progress, target major sources, and close the investment gap.

Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Co-Convener of the Global Methane Pledge, said: “This report is a crucial assessment of our progress and a key indicator of the work required to meet the Global Methane Pledge goal. In just four years, we have made improvements, but we must continue to drive faster, deeper methane cuts. Every tonne reduced brings us closer to cleaner air, more resilient communities, and a thriving global economy. It is important for all countries that have agreed to the Global Methane Pledge to work closely together to maintain momentum on methane mitigation, turning ambition into tangible benefits for the planet.”

Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, said: “The Global Methane Pledge has transformed ambition into tangible progress. Across sectors and continents, countries and companies are demonstrating that methane reductions are achievable and deliver cleaner air, stronger economies, and a safer climate. Our task now is to scale these solutions rapidly, working together to keep 1.5°C within reach and secure a healthier future for our people and our planet.”

Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, said:
“Reducing methane emissions is one of the most immediate and effective steps we can take to slow the climate crisis while protecting human health. Reducing methane also lowers crop losses, essential for both agricultural productivity and food security. UNEP remains committed to helping countries turn ambition into action to ensure that the solutions in this report deliver real benefits for people and the planet.”

The report concludes that choices made in the next five years will determine whether the world seizes this opportunity, unlocking cleaner air, stronger economies, and a safer climate for generations to come.

Read Full Report here