According to the IEA's Global Methane Tracker 2026, published in May, methane from oil and gas operations is not falling. It sits at 124 million tonnes a year, near record highs, after five years of pledges from 159 countries and a growing toolkit of abatement solutions that frequently pay for themselves. Below: what the data shows, what the EU Methane Regulation now requires of operators on venting, flaring and LDAR, why the US went the other direction in April, and what oil and gas majors are already doing.

Oil and Gas Methane: Still Near Record Highs in 2025

Every year, more than 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas disappears into the atmosphere through flaring, venting and leaks. That volume would cover two-thirds of the European Union's annual consumption. The IEA's Global Methane Tracker 2026 puts a sharp number on something the industry has known for a long time but has been slow to act on.

Oil, gas and coal operations together emitted 124 million tonnes of methane in 2025. Oil is the largest single contributor at 45 Mt, followed by coal (43 Mt) and natural gas (36 Mt). Fossil fuel operations account for roughly 35% of all human-caused methane emissions, and the IEA finds no sign that these numbers are heading down, despite the fact that proven reduction solutions already exist.

The climate case is well-established: methane drives nearly 30% of the temperature rise since the Industrial Revolution, and its atmospheric concentration is now 2.7 times higher than pre-industrial levels. But the near-term argument is equally compelling. Because methane breaks down in about 12 years (CO₂ lingers for centuries), cutting it delivers faster results than almost anything else oil and gas companies can do right now.

The IEA estimates that around 70% of fossil fuel methane – close to 85 Mt – can be eliminated with technology already on the market. More than 35 Mt of that could be cut at no net cost, based on 2025 energy prices. As fuel prices stay elevated, those numbers look better still.

Global Methane Pledge: 159 Signatories, Policies That Cover 20%

The Global Methane Pledge launched in 2021 with over 100 countries committing to cut global methane by 30% by 2030. Today, 159 countries plus the EU are on board, collectively covering nearly three-quarters of global oil and gas production.

The 2026 Tracker is blunt about what has followed. Policies actually in force today would cut oil and gas methane by roughly 20% by 2030. The pledge asks for 30% economy-wide. Under current nationally determined contributions, methane emissions in GMP countries are projected to rise 15% between 2020 and 2030 – not fall. Signing is not the same as regulating.

EU Methane Regulation: What Operators Must Comply With in 2026

Europe moved from commitment to binding law. The EU Methane Regulation (EU/2024/1787) entered into force in August 2024 and imposes some of the strictest methane controls anywhere.

For operators, 2026 is an execution year. Source-level methane quantification reports were due by February. Routine venting and flaring is banned. The EU's Methane Transparency Database – a public record of emissions by operator and importer – goes live in September 2026.

From January 2027, the rules extend to supply chains outside the EU. Importers must show that supply contracts signed or renewed after 4 August 2024 cover gas subject to monitoring and verification standards equivalent to EU requirements. By 2030, all imports face defined methane intensity thresholds.

On the operational side: LDAR programmes must run up to four times per year. Leaks require repair within 5 to 15 working days. Annual reports must be third-party verified, aligned with OGMP 2.0 Level 4 or 5. Building that reporting infrastructure takes 18 to 24 months. Companies that have not started may find themselves far behind.

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EPA Methane Rules: The US Rolls Back While Europe Tightens

On 4 April 2026, the US EPA finalised revisions to its 2024 methane rules, loosening requirements for flaring and vent gas monitoring. The stated rationale is regulatory flexibility. According to the EPA's own impact assessment, 3.8 million tonnes of gas will be flared, vented or leaked rather than captured, at an estimated loss of around $170 million. The IRA methane fee – a per-tonne charge for facilities exceeding emissions thresholds – was also repealed.

The regulatory gap between the US and the EU is now substantial. For non-US producers selling into European markets, that gap is both a commercial pressure and a due-diligence obligation: EU buyers are required to verify where their gas originates and what emissions it carries.

Methane Reduction in Practice

Canada finalised enhanced methane regulations in December 2025, tightening LDAR standards, prohibiting venting in all but narrowly defined circumstances and targeting a 72% cut in oil and gas sector methane by 2030 against 2012 levels. 

Norway, the IEA's longstanding reference point, banned non-emergency flaring in 1971. The IEA calculates that if all countries matched Norway's emissions intensity, global methane from oil and gas would fall by more than 90%.

Shell ended routine flaring from its upstream operations in January 2025. Its methane emissions intensity reached 0.04% in 2025, well below its 0.2% target, with a near-zero goal set for 2030. 

These are not experimental approaches. They are production decisions made by operators who chose to run tighter operations.

The Economics of Methane Abatement: Why the Math Works Now

Captured methane is gas that has a market price. Thirty percent of all available methane reductions are cost-negative at current energy prices – the value of recovered gas exceeds the cost of capturing it. The rest carry costs the IEA describes as very low relative to the value they protect.

The business case for methane abatement does not require a carbon price or a regulator looking over your shoulder. It requires treating leaked gas as what it is – lost revenue.

DECARBON 2027: Where These Conversations Happen

DECARBON 2027 (Berlin, 15-16 February) is a platform where much of the work gets done. The event brings upstream and midstream operators, technology providers, EPCs and regulators together to work through the specifics: LDAR deployment, OGMP 2.0 Level 5 reporting, satellite monitoring integration, EU MERR compliance timelines and real-world abatement costs by asset type. The IEA's 2026 data sets the scale of what needs to happen, the regulation sets the clock, and the question for operators is how they want to get there.

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FAQ

What is DECARBON 2027?

DECARBON 2027 is the Oil & Gas Decarbonisation Congress – a closed-door B2B event bringing together senior operators, EPCs and technology providers from across the global oil and gas value chain. The programme covers CCUS, low-carbon hydrogen, methane abatement, energy efficiency, regulatory compliance and digital tools for net-zero.

When and where does DECARBON 2027 take place?

DECARBON 2027 takes place on 15-16 February 2027 in Berlin, Germany. The two-day programme includes sessions, a technology exhibition and structured B2B meetings.

Who attends DECARBON 2027?

DECARBON 2027 is attended by C-level executives, sustainability leads, technical experts and operational decision-makers from major oil and gas operators, upstream producers, midstream companies and refiners, alongside the technology, EPC and service companies supporting the sector's energy transition. The congress operates on a closed-door model, with participants selected to maintain a focused professional environment of end-users, solution providers and licensors.

How do companies participate in DECARBON 2027?

Companies participate in DECARBON 2027 as delegates, sponsors, exhibitors or speakers. Participation details are available on request.

Are oil and gas methane emissions falling?

Oil and gas methane emissions are not falling. The IEA Global Methane Tracker 2026 finds that fossil fuel operations emitted 124 million tonnes of methane in 2025, near record highs, with no sign of decline despite the fact that around 70 percent could be eliminated with existing technology. Countries signed up to the Global Methane Pledge are on track to increase rather than reduce emissions by 2030 under their current national policies.

What do EU methane regulations require from oil and gas operators?

EU methane regulations require oil and gas operators to monitor, quantify and report methane emissions at the source level, eliminate routine flaring and venting, and submit annual third-party verified reports aligned with OGMP 2.0 standards. From January 2027, companies importing oil and gas into the EU must demonstrate that their suppliers comply with equivalent monitoring and verification requirements. By 2030, all imports must meet defined methane intensity thresholds set under EU Regulation 2024/1787.