Tackling methane emissions would strengthen energy security amid crisis

With methane emissions from energy sector near record highs, tried-and-tested abatement measures could make 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas available annually, new IEA analysis shows

Methane emissions from fossil fuels remained at very high levels in 2025, with no sign they are declining globally, according to the IEA's latest tracking update - although some countries are making progress, and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East is now highlighting the energy security benefits of abatement measures.

The Global Methane Tracker 2026, out today, presents the IEA's latest estimates for methane emissions from the energy sector, based on the most recent data from satellites and measurement campaigns. It also explores different abatement options, along with their associated costs. The report's findings are being launched today at an international high-level event on methane action convened by France's G7 Presidency in Paris.

In recent years, many countries and companies have announced efforts to reduce methane emissions as part of efforts to limit near-term global warming and improve air quality, with commitments to reduce methane now covering over half of global oil and gas production. However, methane emissions from the energy sector plateaued near record highs in 2025, according to the report - revealing a large implementation gap.

Yet the report notes that there is significant scope for further action. The availability and reporting of methane emissions data have increased substantially in recent years, indicating that around 70% of fossil fuel methane emissions in 2025 came from the top 10 emitting countries. Meanwhile, the methane intensity of oil and gas production varies widely across countries - with the best performers scoring more than 100 times better than the worst.

Amid the current energy crisis, tackling methane could also help countries improve gas market security - a top priority following the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has removed close to 20% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply from the market. According to the report, if select countries with spare existing gas export capacity and importing countries were to implement readily accessible methane abatement measures across their gas systems, nearly 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas could very quickly be made available to markets. Over the longer term, efforts to cut methane from oil and gas operations globally could deliver nearly 100 bcm of gas to markets each year, while eliminating non-emergency gas flaring could unlock a further 100 bcm. Such savings would be double the supply volumes cut off due to the effective closure of the Strait.

"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, who is presenting the report's key findings at the G7 event today. "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."

According to the report, many solutions for reducing methane emissions are well-known and cost-effective. Around 70% of methane emissions from fossil fuels - or nearly 85 million tonnes (Mt) - could be abated with existing technologies, including three-quarters of emissions from oil and gas and about half of coal emissions. Based on average energy prices in 2025, more than 35 Mt could be avoided at no net cost; this amount would be even larger today given elevated price levels in recent months.

One of the most effective ways to reduce methane is addressing emissions from upstream activities, which currently account for 80% of oil and gas methane emissions, the report finds. Canada and the European Union recently introduced robust upstream regulations, while Brazil, Ghana and Kazakhstan are in the process of doing so.

Meanwhile, insights from dozens of satellites now in orbit are bolstering efforts to lower methane emissions, and there are a growing number of providers that can alert governments and operators about large emissions events in their jurisdictions. The Tracker is accompanied by the launch of a new framework, developed in collaboration with the United Nations' International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), that can help countries respond to such events.

This year's Tracker also examines efforts underway by numerous countries looking to develop marketplaces for fuels with near-zero methane intensity. And the IEA's interactive methane data tool has been updated to include enhanced policy tracking for governments and national oil companies, in addition to regional and country-by-country estimates of energy-related methane emissions.