The substantial reduction of methane emissions globally by 2030 could have a major impact on global temperatures, equivalent to removing the emissions of all cars and trucks in the world. Achieving this GST1 outcome will be critical to meeting the Paris Agreement’s temperature target.

Scaling finance for methane emissions reduction will play an essential role in the achievement of the target.

One-hundred sixty countries have already signed onto the voluntary Global Methane Pledge (GMP), a collective initiative aimed at reducing global methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. This pledge represents a significant first step, signaling widespread recognition in methane’s role in accelerating climate change and resolve to curb its emissions.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global methane emissions must be reduced by 34 percent compared to 2019 level by 2030 and by 35 percent by 2035 in order to align with 1.5-degrees-C pathways. Thus, the GMP should be seen as an ambition floor, and countries should be encouraged to come forward with more ambitious methane reduction targets.

Countries are increasingly setting explicit methane targets and national regulation policies. These commitments signal growing political will to address the issue more seriously and are supported by policy frameworks that enforce reductions across multiple sectors, including oil and gas, agriculture, and waste management.

Recognizing the importance of accelerating the substantial reduction of methane emissions by 2030, Parties could explore the feasibility of a legally binding international framework on methane reduction, drawing on lessons from other agreements, such as the Montreal Protocol. Such a framework could, among other things enhance accountability, monitoring, and transparency in achieving global methane goals.

Any future framework would need to balance regulatory measures with voluntary cooperation and effective communication, supporting coordinated global action on methane while respecting diverse national circumstances.

Building on the GST targets and signals from the UAE Consensus, including the substantial reduction of methane emissions by 2030, COP30 in Belém must reflect on the level of ambition presented by the NDCs and set the new direction as we head toward the end of this critical decade. COP31 must further accelerate NDC implementation.