World leaders show momentum on methane at COP27 ministerial co-hosted by CATF

Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt – World leaders, led by the U.S. and EU and with a surprise appearance from China, demonstrated significant momentum toward achieving the goals of the Global Methane Pledge today at a COP27 ministerial meeting on methane, co-hosted by Clean Air Task Force (CATF).  

With Jonathan Banks, CATF’s Global Director for Methane Pollution Prevention, moderating, U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry announced that more than 150 countries have now joined the Global Methane Pledge to cut collective methane emissions 30% by 2030. Of those 150, dozens have developed national methane action plans or are in the process of doing so, with progress being made on financing, policy, and new pathways to drive emissions reductions from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors. 

“At COP26 methane finally got its moment,” said Banks. “Now, we are seeing real momentum. We’re pleased to see so many countries setting their ambition under the Global Methane Pledge, and even more pleased to see many turn that ambition into action with concrete plans, standards, and policies. Cutting methane emissions is one of the few ways we can bend the curve on climate change in the near-term, and every country should be doing their part.” 

China’s special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua made a surprise appearance, highlighting China’s commitment to reducing methane emissions and sharing that a national methane mitigation plan was currently in administrative and legislative review. 

“China’s newly announced methane action plan puts the icing on the cake for an incredible day for methane,” said Banks. “They join dozens of countries raising their ambition and others already turning that ambition into action with concrete plans, standards, and policies. COP26 was methane’s breakthrough moment; COP27 has given us proof of global momentum.” 

The U.S. State Department and the European Union issued a joint factsheet noting progress on methane since the launch of the Global Methane Pledge – which includes the following highlights: 

• 95% of NDCs now include methane in their economy-wide greenhouse gas target or will by their next revision. In addition, more than 70 GMP-endorsing countries include methane activities in their NDCs.   

• More than 50 countries have methane action plans or are working to develop one: Since COP26, the European Union has issued a methane action plan covering its 27 member states and national methane plans have been released by Brazil, Canada, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United States (an update to its 2021 plan), and Vietnam. Bangladesh, Cote d’ Ivoire, Mexico, Morocco, and Nigeria, have included strong methane components in their short-lived climate pollutant national action plans.  Belgium, Cameroon, Colombia, Croatia, Estonia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Malta, and Togo have indicated their intent to prepare a national methane action plan by COP28, and several other countries have begun developing a plan.  

• Plans include major new policies and initiatives: Highlights from these action plans include $20 billion of new investments in methane reductions by the United States, a comprehensive set of methane-reducing measures by the European Union, Canada’s goal of reducing methane over 35% by 2030, and Vietnam’s goal of reducing methane 30% by 2030 accompanied by a wide range of policies and measures.   

• New support for continued work: The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), a core implementing partner of the GMP, has launched a Methane Roadmap Action Program and will mobilize over $10 million in 2023 to support national planning, sector-specific and country specific-mitigation needs, and national capacity building for short-lived climate pollutant mitigation. In 2022, the CCAC approved methane-related support for 27 countries.  
• Uniting importers and exporters to cut fossil energy methane from trade: The United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, Norway, Singapore, and the United Kingdom issued a Joint Declaration from Energy Importers and Exporters on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Fossil Fuels, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the fossil fuel energy value chain.   
• Leveraging satellite data to respond to super-emitter sources: The International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), a core implementing partner of the GMP, launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) to scale up detection of major emission events, notify relevant stakeholders, and support and track mitigation progress.
• Mobilizing multilateral funding for methane action: The World Bank Global Gas Flaring Reduction Partnership relaunched its trust fund to tackle all methane emissions sources across the oil and gas sector, becoming the Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Partnership.  
• New Landmark National Policies and Actions: The United States published a supplemental proposal on oil and gas methane that will achieve 87% reductions in methane emissions from covered sources by 2030 from 2005 levels and will also include the creation of a “super emitter response program.” Colombia became the first South American country to regulate methane emissions from its oil and gas sector. At COP27, Colombia also endorsed the Global Methane Pledge Energy Pathway.  Nigeria became the first sub-Saharan country to regulate methane emissions from its oil and gas sector.  Mexico will develop an investment and implementation plan to eliminate routine venting and flaring and will cooperate with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a plan. Malaysia’s national oil company and regulator, PETRONAS, announced a target to reduce methane emissions 50% by 2025. Canada announced a proposed regulatory framework to achieve at least a 75% reduction from the oil and gas sector by 2030 relative to 2012. 

Leaders also launched the GMP Food and Agriculture Pathway and the GMP Waste Pathway. These join the GMP Energy Pathway, which is aimed at catalyzing methane emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector. The pathways now encompass the three main sources of methane emissions and represent a holistic approach to cutting methane globally.  

Waste is responsible for roughly 20% of global methane emissions from human activities, and dramatically scaling up efforts to reduce these emissions can also deliver important health and economic development benefits. The GMP Waste Pathway will focus initially on reducing emissions across the solid waste value chain, from upstream sources to downstream disposal sites.   

Yesterday, CATF announced new funding from the Global Methane Hub to launch new efforts to track and manage methane emissions from the waste sector in Africa and Latin America. 

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Press Contacts 

Troy Shaheen, Communications Director, U.S., [email protected], +1 845-750-1189 

Rowan Emslie, Communications Director, Europe, [email protected], 
+32 476 97 36 42 

About Clean Air Task Force  

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.