The Race to Cut Methane Emissions Is Exposing a Global Divide

Since the Global Methane Pledge was launched at COP26, governments and industry actors have increased efforts to find and fix large methane leaks, but progress varies widely between countries. The pledge, led by the United States and the European Union, now includes 159 signatories representing roughly 45 per cent of human-caused methane emissions and aims for a minimum 30 per cent cut from 2020 levels by 2030. Despite these commitments, global energy-related methane emissions remain high: the IEA reports annual emissions persist above 120 million tonnes, driven in part by record fossil fuel production and insufficient mitigation.

Accurately tracking methane is difficult because national inventories often underreport releases and observational coverage is uneven. The IEA relies on scientific studies, targeted measurement campaigns and satellite detection of large plumes to estimate emissions, and it found energy-related methane releases are about 80 per cent higher than nations report to the UNFCCC. The IEA’s 2024 tracker also highlighted the impact of neglected infrastructure: abandoned wells and mines contributed roughly 8 million tonnes of methane that year.

A striking example of the gap between detection and repair is Turkmenistan. A 2023 assessment identified the country as having some of the world’s largest single-source methane leaks, with emissions from two major fields in 2022 estimated to have caused more warming than the United Kingdom’s entire carbon emissions that year. Under public pressure, Turkmenistan approved a major cleanup effort and has closed eight leaks by repairing corroded pipes, faulty wells and failing flares, according to UN data. Nonetheless, the UN’s Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) sent 192 alerts to Turkmenistan over the past year and lists nine of the world’s 50 worst recent leaks as being in the country.

Responses to satellite-detected plumes differ sharply by country. Turkmenistan has provided on-the-ground information for about 20 per cent of the alerts it received, while some countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Argentina have reported responding to all MARS alerts. Mexico registered the single largest detected leak — about 37 tonnes per hour from offshore operations, an amount comparable to the emissions of millions of passenger vehicles — and has responded to its 23 alerts but has not yet fixed that particular source. Other major emitters, including the United States, Iran, Russia and China, did not respond to any MARS alerts in the same period. Observers and program managers say these detection-and-response systems can spur mitigation where there is political will and capacity, but many large sources remain to be addressed.

The uneven pattern of monitoring and mitigation exposes a wider global divide: some states are rapidly improving detection and fixing leaks, while others lag in reporting or action. Closing large, detectable methane sources offers an opportunity for quick climate gains, but realizing those gains depends on improved measurement, more consistent reporting and follow-through on repairs across the world's biggest emitters.