A new global assessment released today on the sidelines of COP30 warns that while the world has made meaningful progress in tackling methane pollution, current efforts still fall short of what is needed to meet the Global Methane Pledge — the commitment by more than 150 countries to cut methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
The Global Methane Status Report, produced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), offers the most detailed picture yet of how countries are performing four years after the pledge was launched. Its findings are both encouraging and sobering.
Progress, but not enough
The report shows that global methane emissions continue to rise. However, the trajectory is less steep than previously projected. Stricter waste regulations in Europe and North America, coupled with a slowdown in natural gas market growth between 2020 and 2024, have already tempered expected emissions. Under current legislation, 2030 methane levels are now forecast to be lower than earlier estimates.
National climate commitments are also beginning to deliver. New and updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national Methane Action Plans submitted by mid-2025 could translate into an 8% reduction in global methane emissions by 2030 — potentially the largest sustained methane decline in history if fully implemented.
But the report delivers a stark warning: achieving the 30% cut promised under the Global Methane Pledge requires maximum deployment of proven mitigation measures across all major emitting sectors — energy, agriculture, and waste — and rapid expansion of the policies already in motion.
Solutions are available — and affordable
The assessment highlights a suite of cost-effective technologies and practices that could drastically reduce emissions if implemented at scale. These include:
Leak detection and repair programs and plugging abandoned wells in the oil and gas sector
Improved water management for rice cultivation
Source separation and treatment of organic waste in agriculture
Remarkably, over 80% of potential methane reductions by 2030 could be achieved at low cost, with the energy sector alone accounting for 72% of the total mitigation potential. The report estimates that all fossil fuel–sector methane mitigation could be deployed at the cost of just 2% of the industry’s 2023 income.
The public-health and food-security benefits are equally significant. Full global implementation of existing measures could prevent 180,000 premature deaths and avert 19 million tonnes of annual crop losses by 2030.
G20 countries hold the key
The report underscores that 72% of global methane reduction potential lies in G20+ countries. These major economies could collectively slash emissions by more than a third by 2030 if they fully deploy existing solutions — but only with stronger measurement, reporting, and financial support to track progress and close remaining gaps.
Political leaders urge faster action
Speaking at the Global Methane Pledge Ministerial in Belém, ministers from leading economies stressed that the world already has the tools needed — what is missing is speed and scale.
Julie Dabrusin, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Co-Convener of the Pledge, said:
“This report is a crucial assessment of our progress and a key indicator of the work that’s required. 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.”
Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing, added:
“Across sectors and continents, countries and companies are proving that methane reductions are achievable. Our task now is to scale these solutions rapidly, working together to keep 1.5°C within reach.”
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, emphasized the urgency:
“Reducing methane emissions is one of the most immediate and effective steps we can take to slow the climate crisis while protecting human health… UNEP is committed to helping countries turn ambition into action.”
A decisive five-year window
The report concludes that actions taken between now and 2030 — especially in the next five years — will determine whether the world can harness one of the fastest and most cost-effective opportunities to curb climate change.
Failure to act decisively would lock in higher global temperatures and rising health and food-security risks. But success, the authors argue, would deliver cleaner air, stronger economies, and a safer climate for generations to come.
As COP30 continues in the heart of the Amazon, ministers and negotiators now face a defining test: whether they will turn the growing political momentum on methane into the rapid, global action the science demands.