COP28 Climate Summit Puts Spotlight on Turning Methane Pledges into Action

While more than 150 countries have promised since 2021 to slash their methane emissions 30% from 2020 levels by 2030 under the U.S.- and EU-led Global Methane Pledge, few have detailed how they will achieve this.

What is needed now is to turn those pledges into urgent action – with financial support for developing countries’ efforts and national regulations over methane-emitting sectors such as oil and gas and agriculture, according to the United Arab Emirates’ COP28 presidency.

Some oil and gas companies have so far participated in voluntary programs to monitor or reduce their methane emissions. It is still unclear which companies might join the UAE’s call for formalized efforts.

The UAE has called on the oil and gas industry to phase out its methane emissions by 2030 and wants a final agreement to include firm plans for turning past pledges into action, a spokesperson for the presidency said.

Beyond lobbying governments, the UAE has also been urging independent and national oil and gas companies to eliminate routine flaring by 2030, a COP28 presidency spokesperson said. Last year’s methane emissions from the energy industry totaled some 135 million metric tons, slightly higher than the year before.