About the project

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential approximately 28 times greater than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. Although methane remains in the atmosphere for about 12 years—far shorter than CO₂'s centuries-to-millennia lifespan—its higher warming potential makes it a major driver of near-term warming. While deep and sustained reductions in carbon dioxide are essential for long-term climate stability, rapidly cutting methane emissions is critical to limiting near-term warming as close as possible to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Pathways aligned with the 1.5°C temperature limit, as assessed in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Sixth Assessment Report, highlight the urgency of methane mitigation. These pathways show that, in addition to halving carbon dioxide emissions this decade, global methane emissions must also fall sharply: a 34 percent reduction by 2030 and 40 percent by 2035 compared to 2019 levels. Energy-related methane emissions, in particular, must fall even faster—declining by 66 percent by 2030.

Methane’s critical role in climate action is increasingly recognized on the international stage. Over 150 countries have joined the Global Methane Pledge, a voluntary commitment launched at COP26 to reduce global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. The urgency of methane action was further reinforced by the first Global Stocktake, concluded at COP28, which explicitly called for accelerated and substantial methane reductions by 2030.

Yet, global methane emissions are still rising, and current measures fall short. Bridging the gap between ambition and action will require stronger policies, effective implementation, and international cooperation to achieve deep, sustained reductions in methane emissions this decade.

The Global Methane Explorer tracks national methane emissions, targets, and policies for countries responsible for 90 percent of global methane emissions. By providing accessible, up-to-date data and analysis, it serves as a critical tool that enables users to monitor progress, identify gaps, and support urgent, evidence-based action to accelerate methane mitigation worldwide.

Future phases of this work will identify 1.5°C-aligned methane reduction pathways at the global, sectoral, and national levels, highlighting the gaps between current trends and the reductions required to meet climate goals.

Funding

This project is funded by the Global Methane Hub.

Contributors

Project lead: Anna Kanduth

Project team: Marie-Charlotte Geffray, William Brodner, Fadil Abdul Razak, Dalia Kellou, Kim Coetzee

Strategy and guidance: Bill Hare, Michiel Schaeffer, Claudio Forner

Design and web development: CDLX

Communications: Tessa Evans, Catharine Tunnacliffe

How to cite

Climate Analytics. 2025. Global Methane Explorer. Available at http://methane-explorer.climateanalytics.org/

Sharing license

This content, including all text, figures, and data, is made available under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC 4.0 license, which allows others to distribute, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, so long as they cite and credit the original version.

About Climate Analytics

Climate Analytics is a global climate science and policy institute engaged around the world in driving and supporting climate action aligned to the 1.5°C warming limit.

We connect science and policy to empower vulnerable countries in international climate negotiations and inform national planning with targeted research, analysis and support.

Our international team of 130 experts and support staff work from our headquarters in Berlin and our regional offices in Africa, Australia and the Pacific, the Caribbean, North America and South Asia.