“No sign” of reductions in global methane emissions in 2025 — IEA
A growing number of countries have committed to reducing methane emissions, but emissions plateaued in 2025 with “no sign” of a global reduction, the IEA said in a new report.
There is “no sign” that global methane emissions from the energy sector are declining, with emissions settling into a plateau in 2025, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The fossil fuel sector accounts for 35 percent of methane emissions from human activity, and despite increasing pledges to cut emissions from a growing number of countries, there “is still no sign” that emissions are falling, “despite well-known and proven mitigation pathways,” the Paris-based agency wrote in its Global Methane Tracker report published on May 4th.
There was some progress in certain parts of the world, including from super-emitting sites in Algeria and Argentina, and improvements in China’s coal sector from stiffer regulation. The IEA said that the oil and gas sector has lowered its upstream methane intensity at production sites, but in absolute terms, emissions are not declining because output continues to rise.
“In recent years, countries and companies have raised their ambitions on methane, moving the issue higher up the policy agenda. However, setting reduction targets is only a first step, and it is important to ensure they are backed up by policies, implementation plans and real actions,” said IEA chief energy economist Tim Gould. “This is not only a climate issue: there are also major energy security benefits that can come from tackling methane and flaring, especially at a time when the world is urgently looking for additional supply amid the current crisis.”
A massive amount of gas is flared, vented, or is leaking into the atmosphere. The waste in the oil and gas sector is particularly egregious in a time of a global energy crisis. Roughly 110 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz in 2025. The IEA estimates the industry could capture around 100 bcm of natural gas through an effort to cut methane emissions, plus another 100 bcm could be made available by eliminating non-emergency flaring.
In other words, the volume of gas that is wasted into the atmosphere each year is twice as large as the annual flow of gas through the vital Strait of Hormuz.
On paper, there appears to be progress from governments. More than half of global oil and gas production is now covered by commitments to achieve near-zero emissions, the IEA said. In 2021, only 20 percent of global output fell under such pledges.
The vast majority of potential gas savings could come from existing equipment at no additional cost to operators, the IEA said.
However, it is important to note that the IEA has echoed this “low-hanging” fruit argument for many years, and the industry continues to drag its feet. With emissions still at very high levels, real-world reductions are needed.
The report comes as the European Union continues to flesh out the details of its Methane Regulation, which would, once fully implemented, impose a limit on the upstream methane intensity of gas imported into the EU. The industry has aggressively lobbied to weaken the rule, but as the IEA report shows, much heavier policy is needed to force the industry to slash emissions faster and more deeply.
“The EU Methane Regulation will only deliver meaningful emission reductions if it is properly enforced,” said Dr. Sabina Assan, methane analyst at global energy think tank Ember. “Independent verification of emissions and dissuasive penalties for non-compliance are essential to ensure its effectiveness.”
Even oil and gas drillers supposedly operating with very high standards could be emitting more methane than they let on. A recent investigation co-published by Gas Outlook, Drilled Media, and The Guardian found weaknesses in a key “certified gas” programme that sits at the heart of discussions of the EU’s Methane Regulation.
Meanwhile, punctuating how far the U.S. is going to deregulate its oil and gas sector, the IEA report comes just a few days after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued guidance allowing oil and gas producers to continue routine flaring. A Biden-era regulation had imposed a deadline to phaseout routine flaring on May 7th, 2026, but the EPA says that practice can continue.
(Writing by Nick Cunningham; editing by Sophie Davies)