Repairing Methane Leaks Provides a Crucial Climate Breakthrough

Amid growing warnings that the world is not on track to meet its climate goals, one of the clearest signs of progress in 2025 came from an often invisible but powerful greenhouse gas: methane.

According to the latest annual report released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), targeted international cooperation helped detect and repair major methane leaks from oil and gas installations across 36 countries last year, preventing thousands of tonnes of emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Through UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory, governments were alerted to significant leaks, prompting the repair of at least 19 major sites. Together, those leaks had been releasing an estimated 1,200 tonnes of methane every 24 hours, a gas far more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term when it comes to warming the planet.

Methane is responsible for nearly a third of global warming to date. Scientists widely agree that cutting methane emissions is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to slow temperature rise in the near term.

UNEP’s report shows that transparency is playing a growing role in those efforts. Under the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), 150 oil and gas companies, representing 42 per cent of global production and operating in more than 90 countries, are now reporting methane emissions data. The initiative aims to move the industry toward accurate measurement and public accountability rather than rough estimates.

The methane progress stands out at a time when broader climate indicators remain concerning. UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report 2025 warns that current national climate pledges still place the world on a path toward 2.3°C to 2.5°C of warming, well above the 1.5°C target under the Paris Agreement.

Against that backdrop, methane reductions offer what climate experts describe as “low-hanging fruit”, immediate, technically feasible interventions that can buy time while countries transition their energy systems.

In her reflection on the year, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said 2025 demonstrated that environmental multilateralism can deliver tangible results even amid geopolitical tensions.

“Even amid global tensions, 2025 was a year in which nations showed that environmental multilateralism is the beacon that rises high above the fog of geopolitical differences to rally the world in united action,” she said.

While the overall climate outlook remains challenging, UNEP’s methane findings suggest that focused cooperation, backed by data and accountability, can translate into measurable emission cuts. In a year marked by global uncertainty, the repair of a handful of leaks may appear small, but in climate terms, the impact is anything but.