The UN's Roadmap to Methane Reduction

Methane is rarely the most headline-grabbing climate issue. It does not carry the political drama of coal phase-outs, the spectacle of vast wind and solar projects or the market shock associated with oil price spikes.

Even so, methane has emerged as one of the most urgent elements of the climate crisis and was high on the agenda this London Climate Action Week.

In a speech framed as a “Tale of Two Crises” — climate breakdown and energy insecurity — UN Secretary-General António Guterres used his London address to focus on methane and the challenges it presents for the energy transition.

"Methane is responsible for around one-third of global warming," he explained.

"It is some eighty times more powerful than carbon dioxide, but unlike CO₂, methane breaks down in the atmosphere within a decade or two. That means that aggressive cuts could produce visible temperature relief within a generation."

Why methane now matters more

A new initiative, introduced by the Secretary-General and titled the Call to Action on Methane, supports governmants, industry and financial institutions in methane reduction and focusses on waste, agriculture and fossil fuels.

He acknowledged that reducing fossil fuel use remains the central priority, but positioned methane as one of the fastest ways to cut emissions without waiting for a complete transformation of the energy system.

He cited analysis from the International Energy Agency indicating that around 70% of oil and gas methane emissions can already be eliminated using existing technologies, much of it at little or no net cost.

That figure is striking, but it raises a difficult question: if solutions are readily available, why do emissions remain so high?

“In 2025 alone, some 167 billion cubic metres of gas were flared into the sky – as much as Africa consumes in a year," he said.

"UN Environment’s Methane Alert and Response System has issued more than 5,000 alerts across 33 countries. Yet the global response rate stands at just 12%."

This highlights the core problem. The industry has the tools to detect methane leaks and venting, supported by expanding satellite data, on-the-ground monitoring and policy frameworks. What it has yet to demonstrate consistently is the willingness to act on that information.

Moving beyond voluntary action

“Voluntary action is no longer enough,” António says.

Methane regulation is likely to become a firm standard against which companies are judged. António called on governments to establish "a new global standard for the oil and gas sector: near-zero methane emissions across the value chain".

In practical terms, this could translate into stricter controls on upstream operations, increased scrutiny of imported gas and LNG, and greater pressure on both national oil companies and international majors.

António also used the speech to criticise continued expansion in coal, oil and gas production, arguing that increasing fossil fuel supply in the name of energy security risks creating stranded assets and deeper long-term vulnerability.

He pointed to the windfall profits recorded by major fossil fuel companies amid geopolitical tensions, noting that the eight largest firms secured an additional US$6.5bn in the first quarter of the year alone.

The implication was clear: if companies wish to defend their role in the current energy system, they will increasingly be expected to demonstrate that they can eliminate the most avoidable and wasteful emissions tied to their operations.

A defining test

Methane has long been treated as an important but secondary climate issue. That position is now changing.

For governments, tackling methane will test their willingness to impose stricter controls on fossil fuel pollution while balancing concerns around affordability and energy security.

For oil and gas companies, it will test whether their climate commitments hold up under scrutiny.

And for a sector facing growing pressure to justify ongoing investment in hydrocarbons, it will also test its licence to operate.

If methane can be reduced quickly, affordably and at scale, continued inaction begins to look less like a technical limitation and more like a matter of political and commercial choice.

"The world phased out leaded gasoline," António concluded. "We eliminated ozone-depleting chemicals.

"Methane pollution must be next."