Global Methane Pledge Newsletter - January 2025
We are pleased to share with you the latest news from the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) community, as well as information on opportunities for engagement and support.
Highlights
CCAC NDC Watch: Latest on Non-CO₂ Pollutants in National Climate Plans
As 2025 progresses towards COP30 in Brazil, the CCAC is closely monitoring the submission of updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Recent submissions indicate a significant increase in the inclusion of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and air quality considerations. Notably, Brazil has outlined objectives to reduce non-CO₂ greenhouse gases, including methane, while emphasizing the importance of mitigating actions that also address air pollution. Similarly, countries like the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Uruguay, the United States, and the United Kingdom have detailed sector-specific targets and highlighted the health benefits of integrated climate and air quality strategies.
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Upcoming events
Climate & Clean Air Conference 2025, 16–21 March, Brazil
The Climate and Clean Air Conference 2025 will take place from 16–21 March, 2025, in Brasília, Brazil. This year’s theme, “Accelerating Action on Super Pollutants: The Road to COP30,” highlights the urgent need for decisive action.
This year, the conference will focus on NDCs 3.0 commitments as investment plans, hold a Science-Policy Dialogue on Super Pollutants, explore gender equity as a driver of action, and sectoral policies that can drive mitigation. Sharing experiences from action at home and demonstrating leadership – be it as GMP and Clean Air champion countries or driving a sectoral or regional topic or pathway – to help bring a strong message to COP30.
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GMI Biogas Subcommittee, 17 March, Brazil
Building Capacity, Sharing Experiences, and Utilizing Tools to Reduce Methane Emissions: An Open Session of the GMI Biogas Subcommittee. Open to all, attendees of this two-part session will learn about GMI Partner Countries’ experiences, challenges and successes working to reduce methane emissions from agriculture, municipal solid waste, and wastewater and discuss activities proposed in the GMI Biogas Subcommittee’s draft Sprint Action Plan to enhance success going forward.
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Second Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health, 25-27 March, Colombia
The WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health will take place from March 25 to 27, 2025, in Cartagena, Colombia. The conference is being co-organized by WHO and the Government of Colombia with the support of the Government of Spain and other UN agencies such as UNEP, WMO, World Bank and others. The conference will highlight evidence-based, coordinated multi-sectoral solutions in cities, countries and regions to prevent communicable and noncommunicable disease, save lives, protect child health and limit climate change across the world.
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News and Updates
New study: Nord Stream pipeline blasts released record-shattering amount of methane
On January 15, the results of a major scientific effort to fully understand the 2022 Nord Stream explosions’ methane impacts were published in Nature(Harris et al., 2025).
This research, led by UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), convened nearly 70 scientists across 30 research organizations and revealed that the pipeline ruptures released up to 485,000 metric tonnes of methane to the atmosphere – roughly twice some initial estimates. But this vast amount is equivalent to just two days’ worth of the global oil and gas industry’s methane footprint.
While the Nord Stream explosions are an outlier, they put into perspective the need to rapidly slash emissions from across the oil and gas industry’s operations. Learn more about the study’s findings via UNEP’s story and video.
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New study: Smaller, dispersed sources account for majority of U.S. oil & gas methane emissions
A new study led by EDF scientists and published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics finds that of the roughly 15 million metric tons of methane coming from onshore oil and gas activities in the continental U.S. annually, 70% comes from smaller, dispersed sources emitting less than 100 kilograms of methane per hour. And fully 30% of emissions are from sites releasing less than 10 kilograms per hour.
At those rates, millions of tons of methane simply won’t show up under measurement methods not detecting those smaller sources of emissions.
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Update on the BUGS Project
Implemented by the ACEN Foundation, Trinomics, Eclose, and Eawag, the project develops a methodology to assess the feasibility of Black Soldier Fly Technology initiatives to be piloted in the target countries. It also seeks to capture best practices and foster collaboration among stakeholders, mainstreaming BSF farming into waste management, agriculture, and climate-oriented strategies. The project can also contribute to capacity development, job creation and technology transfer.
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Methane Media Digest
Published by Wired, January 6
Feature article from a leading technology publication describing how the MethaneSat and Carbon Mapper satellite are working to locate methane leaks globally. The piece notes that while the satellites are only capable of tracking emissions in sunlight, they nonetheless allow the collection of methane leak data in places that were previously unreachable.
Published by High North News, January 13
Op-ed from the Clean Arctic Alliance, calling for the Arctic Council, under Norway’s leadership, to adopt new ambitious targets that will reduce emissions of black carbon and methane. The piece notes that the 2017 target of cutting black carbon emissions by 25% (compared to 2013 levels) is likely to be achieved by 2024 provided current trends continue, while shipping emissions have failed to reduce in line with the original targets and have more than doubled in recent years.
Published by Devex, January 15
Part 1 in a 2-part series on methane from the world’s leading development-focused media outlet, highlighting the international development groups are using innovative strategies to curb emissions from agriculture and improve farmer livelihoods. The piece cites challenges on the lack of reliable data on agricultural methane emissions in regions such as Africa, calling for increased investment while also stressing that wealthier countries also have room for improvement in tackling livestock emissions.
Published by AFP, January 15
Article from a global France-based wire service, describing how a series of underwater explosions that ruptured the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022 caused the largest known methane leak on record from a single incident. Citing studies done by the journal Nature, the piece notes that while there was a significant leak, it was equivalent only to 0.1% of human-caused emissions of methane.
Published by Carbon Brief, January 22
Guest piece written by Dr. Rachel Huxley, Head of Mitigation at Wellcome Trust, Dr Drew Shindell, key scientific advisor at the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, Talia Caplan, Research Manager at Wellcome Trust. The article explains how ’Super pollutants’ are responsible for around 45% of global warming to date, and that cutting emissions is seen as one of the quickest ways to tackle climate change and preventing millions of deaths from these pollutants.
Published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), January 31
Blog post from CCAC partner RMI highlighting how solutions to stop gas — and methane — from leaking are readily available and affordable and have the potential to create jobs, protect public safety, and bolster national security. The piece covers a timeline of global action on methane emissions, and the importance of moving from awareness to action.
Published by BBC, February 4
Article from the UK public broadcaster, with a deep-dive on how black soldier flies (BSF) technology can transform food waste into nutrient-rich biofertilizer, frass. The piece explores how companies are looking to expand BSF usage, and explains how unlike chemical fertilizers, frass promotes increased biodiversity.
Published by the Guardian, February 11
Article from leading UK publication highlighting concerns from the scientific community related to misinformation on a cattle feed additive, Bovaer, that is proven to reduce emissions in the livestock sector. Scientists in the article refer to misinformation as a “wake-up” call for the industry and stressed the need for more clear and direct communication with members of the public.
