Methane emissions from fossil fuels remained at record high levels in 2025: IEA

Methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2 (around 12 years compared with centuries for CO2) but it is a more potent greenhouse gas

Methane emissions from fossil fuels remained at record high levels in 2025, with no sign of decline globally, even as oil, gas, and coal production output reached record highs last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its Global Methane Tracker 2026 released on Monday.

The IEA said methane emissions from the energy sector were near record highs in 2025. (X)

The tracker, based on the recent data from satellites and measurement campaigns, said that the fossil fuel sector accounts for around 35% of methane emissions from human activity. Yet, there is still no sign that methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, from fossil fuel operations are falling.

Methane emissions from oil, gas, and coal production totaled 124 million tonnes (Mt) a year. Oil was the largest source at 45 Mt, followed by coal at 43 Mt, and natural gas at 36 Mt. A 20 Mt came from bioenergy production and consumption, largely from the incomplete combustion of traditional biomass used for cooking and heating in developing economies, the IEA said.

Methane has a much shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2 (around 12 years compared with centuries for CO2). But it is a much more potent greenhouse gas, absorbing much more energy while it exists in the atmosphere.

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. Commitments to reduce methane now cover over half of global oil and gas production, the IEA said. In 2021, over 100 countries joined the European Union and the United States (US) to launch the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), a collective commitment to reduce global methane emissions by 30% by 2030.

IEA said methane emissions from the energy sector were near record highs in 2025, revealing a large implementation gap. It said tackling methane could help countries improve gas market security, a priority following the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Iran war, which has removed close to 20% of global liquefied natural gas supply from the market.

The IEA said 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 double the supply volumes cut off due to the effective closure of the Strait, the IEA said.

The IEA estimates that over 85 Mt of emissions tied to fossil fuel operations in 2025 came from the 10 biggest emitters. China is the largest emitter, driven by coal operations, followed by the US and Russia.

IEA chief energy economist Tim Gould said countries and companies have raised their ambitions on methane, moving the issue higher up the policy agenda in recent years. “...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. 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.”

The IEA noted the most cost-effective options available for reducing emissions include leak detection and repair (LDAR), which replaces pumps and other methane-emitting equipment with electric devices. LDAR uses vapour-recovery units (VRUs) to capture vented gas.

The fossil fuel sector in South and Southeast Asia emitted around 13 million tonnes (Mt) of methane in 2025. Over 60% of this originated from coal mines, and the rest from oil and gas operations. India and Indonesia were the biggest emitters. Methane emissions in the region have risen, driven by rising energy demand and fossil fuel production. Across the region, both fossil fuel production and associated methane emissions are expected to start declining in the coming years, IEA said.

Across the oil and gas sector, most methane emissions come from upstream activities, which account for 80% of the total. Upstream activity refers to the initial stages of a supply chain or industrial value chain, primarily focusing on the exploration, search, and extraction of raw material

Methane can also escape unintentionally through leaking components like valves or seals, or through incomplete combustion of natural gas, including at flaring sites.