EduAsiaNews, Antalya – Global efforts to curb methane emissions are beginning to deliver measurable climate benefits, with reductions and mitigation measures equivalent to taking 26 million cars off the road for a year, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The announcement was made on Thursday during a ministerial meeting of the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), co-hosted by Canada and the European Union on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya. The progress highlights the growing role of methane reduction in slowing global warming while countries struggle to keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius target within reach.
Since June 2026, UNEP’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) has confirmed action on five additional major methane emission sources in Canada, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Mexico, involving an estimated 125,000 tonnes of methane. Their combined climate impact is equivalent to nearly 2.5 million cars being driven for a year. This brings the total number of major methane sources addressed through the system to 46 across 13 countries. MARS combines satellite observations, artificial intelligence and scientific expertise to identify major methane leaks and alert governments and industrial operators so that corrective action can be taken.
“Methane is the second largest contributor to global heating behind carbon dioxide, but it leaves the atmosphere quickly, so cutting its emissions is our emergency brake to slow warming,” UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said. Methane accounts for approximately one-third of the warming experienced today and remains in the atmosphere for about 12 years, compared with centuries for carbon dioxide. However, its warming potential is approximately 80 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period. This makes rapid methane reductions particularly important for limiting near-term temperature increases, although sustained carbon dioxide cuts remain essential to achieving long-term climate goals.
International commitments are also gaining momentum. The Global Methane Pledge, launched in 2021, aims to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030. In support of this target, UNEP is helping countries improve their responses to major methane alerts, with 13 countries now achieving a response rate of at least 80 percent. Nine of them have reached a 100 percent response rate. Meanwhile, the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 has expanded to 164 companies, representing 43 percent of global oil and gas production. The initiative promotes transparent, measurement-based emissions reporting and encourages companies to take practical steps to address methane leaks.
Beyond oil and gas, UNEP is extending its efforts to coal mining and steel production, two sectors with significant methane emissions. Its Coal Methane Database, covering the 250 largest metallurgical coal mines and approximately half of global production, identifies the potential to mitigate around 1.4 million tonnes of methane. UNEP estimates that roughly half of methane emissions from metallurgical coal used in steelmaking could be reduced through mitigation measures costing about 1 percent of the price of steel. Separately, the International Energy Agency’s Global Methane Tracker 2026 estimates that around 70 percent of methane emissions from fossil fuel operations could be reduced using existing technologies, with more than 35 million tonnes avoidable at no net cost.
Despite these developments, the scale of the challenge remains substantial. The continued rise in atmospheric methane concentrations underscores the need to move beyond voluntary commitments towards stronger monitoring, accountability and implementation across fossil fuels, agriculture and waste management. At COP31, the progress reported by UNEP demonstrates that satellite technology and more transparent industrial reporting can help turn climate pledges into measurable action. However, achieving the 2030 target will require broader participation from governments and businesses, as well as sustained investment in methane detection and mitigation. (*)
