COP 30: Ministers Urge Decisive Action on Methane Emissions, Warn of Gaps

•Say implementation will prevent over 180,000 premature deaths annually by 2030

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The Global Methane Status Report, launched yesterday on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, has shown that while considerable progress has been made since the launch of the Global Methane Pledge in 2021, more work is required to align with the level of ambition and action needed to meet the Pledge.  

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 warming.  

Launched at COP26 the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), co-convened by Canada and the European Union, now includes 159 countries and the European Commission, committed to cutting global methane emissions at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels by 2030, a goal aligned with keeping 1.5°C within reach while improving health, food security, and economies.

The report showed that although methane emissions are still rising, projected 2030 emissions under current legislation are already lower than earlier forecasts due to a mix of national policies, sectoral regulations, and market shifts.

However, the report warned that only full-scale implementation of proven and available control measures will close the gap to the Global Methane Pledge’s target of a 30 per cent cut from 2020 levels by 2030.  

Urging decisive methane action to deliver the Global Methane Pledge, ministers attending the Global Methane Pledge, stressed that the policies, technologies, and partnerships needed to meet the target are available but require rapid scale-up across the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. Ministers also called for increased transparency from countries on ambition and action to track progress.  

“The Global Methane Status Report offers the clearest picture yet of progress since the Pledge was launched, finding that: Emissions are rising, but the outlook is improving: Global methane emissions are still increasing, but new waste regulations in Europe and North America and slower growth in natural gas markets between 2020 and 2024 have lowered current projected levels and are expected to reduce further by 2030 under current legislation compared with 2021 forecasts,” the statement added.

It stated that national action has the potential to deliver historic progress as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national Methane Action Plans submitted by mid-2025 could translate into an 8 per cent cut by 2030 below 2020 levels. 

If fully implemented, it noted that this would be the largest and most sustained decline in methane emissions in history.  

“Meeting the 2030 Global Methane Pledge target requires raising ambition – quickly: Yet, to reduce emissions 30 per cent by 2030, below 2020 levels, full implementation of maximum technically feasible reductions globally is needed,” the statement said.

The UNEP report stated that proven measures across emitting sectors needed to be scaled up, such as leak detection and repair programmes, plugging of abandoned wells in the oil and gas sector, water management measures for rice cultivation, or source separation and treatment of organic waste in the agriculture and waste sector. 

“Over 80 per cent of 2030 emissions reduction potential can be achieved at low cost. Measures in the energy sector offer 72 per cent of the overall mitigation potential, followed by waste (18 per cent) and agriculture (10 per cent).

According to the report, the benefits far outweigh the costs, stressing that full implementation of these technically feasible reductions globally could prevent over 180,000 premature deaths and 19 million tonnes of crop losses each year by 2030.

Besides, it stated that all fossil fuel mitigation could be deployed at just 2 per cent of the sector’s 2023 income.  

“ Seventy-two percent of global methane mitigation potential lies in G20+ countries, where emissions could fall by 36 per cent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels by mitigating methane in agriculture, waste, and fossil fuel sectors. Stronger measurement, reporting, and finance are essential to track progress, target major sources, and close the investment gap,” it stated.

Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Andersen, 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 reduces crop losses, essential for both agriculture productivity and food security. UNEP is committed to helping countries turn ambition into action to ensure the solutions in this report deliver real benefits for people and the planet.”

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

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.