Global methane emissions keep rising despite international climate pledges, new un report shows

More than half the world’s countries have committed to reducing methane—one of the most potent greenhouse gases—yet global emissions of this “climate super-pollutant” continue to surge upward, according to a groundbreaking United Nations report released at this week’s climate summit.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s assessment marks the first comprehensive global evaluation of methane reduction efforts since countries began making formal pledges to tackle this powerful heat-trapping gas. Methane is roughly 25 times more effective at warming the atmosphere than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period, making it a critical target in the fight against climate change.

The troubling findings highlight a growing gap between international climate commitments and real-world results. While methane has a shorter lifespan in the atmosphere compared to CO2, its immediate warming impact is far more intense, meaning rapid reductions could provide near-term climate benefits. The gas is released through various sources including agriculture, fossil fuel operations, and waste management.

This setback underscores the challenges facing global climate action as world leaders gather for the UN climate summit. Despite widespread recognition of methane’s outsized role in driving global warming, the new data suggests that current mitigation strategies are falling short of what’s needed to bend the emissions curve downward. The report serves as a stark reminder that closing the gap between climate promises and measurable progress remains one of the most pressing challenges in international environmental policy.