COP30: Reducing Methane Emissions

Recommendations

• Make the Global Methane Pledge binding. Expand the agreement in collaboration with industry (OGCI) to include a zero-emission vision for technical emissions.
• Strengthen knowledge on low-concentration sources. Invest in research on technologies that can remove methane from agriculture, rice cultivation and natural environments.
• Reduce methane emissions from oil and gas. Introduce stricter requirements for monitoring, reporting and use of Best Available Technology to prevent leaks.
• Provide economic incentives. Use taxes and regulation so that investing in equipment becomes cheaper than emitting methane.
• Develop conversion technologies. Support solutions that can convert methane from low-concentration sources into CO₂ or methanol.

Current situation

Atmospheric methane is the second most important greenhouse gas influencing global warming after CO₂. According to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report, methane emissions from human activities have contributed approximately 0.5 °C to observed global temperature rise. Methane has a global warming potential about 30 times higher than CO₂ over 100 years — and more than 80 times higher over a 20-year period.

Methane accounts for roughly 14 % of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU, 10 % in Norway and 11 % in the United States (in 100-year CO₂-equivalents). These emissions are primarily driven by agricultural activities, waste management, and the extraction and use of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal.

Methane emissions from oil and gas operations occur at various stages of the value chain and differ between conventional reservoirs and shale or oil sands. They result partly from leaks and partly from equipment choices, such as pneumatic valves that release methane during operation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has investigated multiple sources of methane leaks from technical installations, finding that numerous types of equipment contribute to these emissions.

While emissions from the oil and gas industry, agriculture and livestock have received the most attention, rice cultivation is also a significant global source of methane. Rice is a staple food for half the world’s population and accounts for about half of methane emissions from cultivated land. Wetlands are another important natural source of methane. It is technically challenging to remove methane from low-concentration sources, as methane concentrations are typically 5–200 times lower than CO₂ levels in air.

Analyses and satellite observations show that methane emissions are underreported, making it difficult to obtain an accurate picture of the problem. A UNEP report on methane indicates that cutting global methane emissions by 45 % today could reduce warming by 0.28 °C by mid-century — helping to keep the world on track to stay below 2 °C of global temperature rise.

Solution

The United States and the European Union launched the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) at COP26, with the goal of reducing global methane emissions by 30 % by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. The pledge has raised awareness but remains voluntary. To have real impact, countries must make these commitments binding and establish national targets and reporting frameworks. The EU’s regulation of methane emissions from the energy sector is an important step toward better transparency and faster repair of leaks.

The technological potential is significant: according to the IEA, about 35 % of methane emissions from the oil and gas sector could be reduced with existing, cost-effective solutions. Norway already has very low leakage levels, partly due to a methane tax and strict health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements. One of the main success factors has been that investing in technical equipment is cheaper than paying for emissions. While reducing methane emissions from the oil and gas industry represents a low-hanging opportunity achievable with current technologies, it will also be necessary to address methane from low-concentration sources to achieve reduction levels with meaningful climate impact. Technologies are under development to convert methane from such sources into CO₂ or methanol, though these are still in early stages of research and deployment.