The pledge, now backed by 159 countries, aims to cut methane emissions by at least 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030, with the dual benefit of climate mitigation, improved air quality and food security.
Global efforts to rein in methane emissions are showing measurable gains, but the latest assessment warns these improvements are insufficient to meet the ambitious goals set for 2030. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says that, although progress is under way, much deeper action is still required to halt methane’s outsized contribution to the climate crisis.
According to the Global Methane Status Report 2025, launched 17 November 2025 on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, global anthropogenic methane emissions reached approximately 352 million tonnes per year in 2020, and under current legislation are projected to rise to 369 Mt by 2030 – a roughly 5 per cent increase instead of the reduction needed.
The pledge, now backed by 159 countries, aims to cut methane emissions by at least 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030, with the dual benefit of climate mitigation, improved air quality and food security.
Emissions Still Rising Amid Promising Sectoral Gains
Despite the upward trajectory of overall methane emissions, the report highlights notable improvements. Stronger policies in waste management (especially in Europe and North America) and slower growth in fossil-gas production between 2020 and 2024 have helped temper projections.
If all current national methane action plans and the methane-relevant components of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are fully implemented, the report estimates an 8 per cent cut below 2020 levels by 2030 – which would mark the largest sustained decline in methane emissions in history.
Most of the mitigation potential lies in the energy sector (about 72 per cent), followed by waste (18 per cent) and agriculture (10 per cent).
UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen emphasised that “reducing methane is one of the most immediate and effective steps we can take to slow the climate crisis while protecting human health.”
The benefits are significant: full implementation could prevent over 180,000 premature deaths and avoid 19 million tonnes of crop losses each year by 2030.
Gaps in Ambition, Finance and Data Threaten the Global Methane Pledge
However, the headline gains mask a much larger shortfall. The 30 per cent reduction target remains out of reach unless countries massively scale up both ambition and implementation.
Key challenges include weak measurement, reporting and verification of methane emissions, under-investment in mitigation, and a concentration of potential in the G20+ countries – which account for 72 per cent of global mitigation potential.
Moreover, while low-cost mitigation options exist (over 80 per cent of the mitigation potential can be achieved at low cost), unlocking them requires political will, regulatory frameworks, cross-sector partnerships and finance.
The report warns that the choices made in the next five years will determine whether the world seizes the opportunity to keep global warming within 1.5 °C and secure healthier air, stronger economies and safer food systems.
In the words of Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Julie Dabrusin, “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.”
As the world converges on COP30 to chart the next phase of climate action, methane has emerged as a near-term lever where visible gains can be made – yet the speed and scale of action must double if the broader climate targets are to stand a chance. The 2025 status report paints a cautiously optimistic picture: progress is real, but the path ahead remains steep.
Image: Wikimedia
