Action by governments and energy operators to address methane emissions has had a climate equivalent to ‘taking 26 million cars off the road for a year’, the UNEP has said.
The UNEP made its remarks at a ministerial meeting of its International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), co-hosted by Canada and the European Union, at COP31 in Antlya, where it noted that ‘real progress’ has been made in reducing methane emissions.
Since June 2026, the Observatory’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) has confirmed the mitigation of five additional major methane sources across Canada, Iraq, Kazakhstan and Mexico, bringing the total addressed to 46 across 13 countries.
These new sources represent 125,000 tonnes of methane addressed, equivalent to the annual emissions of nearly 2.5 million cars, it noted.
‘Second largest contributor’
“With the world on course to exceed 1.5°C of warming, we must limit how high temperatures rise and how long they stay high, and then bring them down,” commented Inger Andersen, executive director of UNEP. “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. The work of IMEO shows that such reductions are not only possible but taking place now.”
MARS uses satellite monitoring, AI and scientific expertise to detect major methane plumes and alert governments and operators.
‘Priority actions’
In June, the UN secretary general released a Call to Action on Methane, setting out nine ‘priority actions’ across the fossil fuel, waste and agriculture sectors to accelerate emissions reductions by 2030, in line with the Global Methane Pledge to cut 30% off methane emissions by the end of the decade.
UNEP has also expanded support to help countries achieve a 80% response rate to major emissions alerts by 2030, with Azerbaijan, Canada, Iraq and Libya reaching that benchmark since June.
The oil and gas industry is also increasing its participation in methane reporting, UNEP reported, with its Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0) having grown to 164 companies, representing 43% of global oil and gas production. Ten companies joined during 2026.
“Methane is a global challenge that no country or region can address alone,” added Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing. “Emissions do not stop at borders, and neither should our efforts to tackle them.
“Governments, international organisations, producers, investors and technology providers all have a role to play. And now is the time to play this role. By reducing methane emissions, we can protect the planet, strengthen our economies, and deliver a cleaner, safer future.” Read more here.
