Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas driving climate change after carbon dioxide, and the energy sector is one of its largest human sources. The International Energy Agency (IEA) tracks those emissions each year. Its Global Methane Tracker 2026 finds that emissions remain near record levels and that most of the cuts needed use technology that already exists.
How much methane does the energy sector emit?
The IEA estimates that the energy sector emitted nearly 150 million tonnes (Mt) of methane in 2025. That is around 40 percent of methane emissions from human activity. Fossil fuel operations account for about 124 Mt, or around 35 percent of the human total. Bioenergy, mostly traditional biomass for cooking and heating, accounts for about 20 Mt. The report gives slightly different breakdowns in different sections, so the figures below are best read as approximate.
- Oil: about 45 Mt
- Coal: about 43 Mt
- Natural gas: about 36 Mt
Key figures at a glance
- Energy sector methane, 2025: nearly 150 Mt, around 40 percent of human-caused methane
- Fossil fuel methane: about 124 Mt, around 35 percent of the human total
- Abatable with existing technology: about 70 percent of fossil fuel methane, roughly 85 Mt
- Avoidable at no net cost: over 35 Mt
- Satellite-detected large events, 2025: more than 5 Mt
- Global Methane Pledge: 159 countries plus the EU
What is methane and why does it matter?
Methane is the main component of natural gas and a potent greenhouse gas. In general terms, it traps far more heat than carbon dioxide per molecule but stays in the atmosphere for a much shorter time, which is why cutting it can slow warming quickly. This is a standard description and is not drawn from the IEA report. The IEA’s own framing is that reducing methane offers some of the fastest, largest and cheapest ways to cut emissions.
Which countries emit the most?
China is the largest emitter, driven by coal, followed by the United States and Russia. The top 10 emitters account for more than 85 Mt of fossil fuel methane, about 70 percent of the total (by our arithmetic, 85 of 124 Mt is about 69 percent, which agrees). On intensity, which measures emissions per unit of oil and gas produced, Norway has the lowest upstream intensity, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also perform relatively well. Turkmenistan and Venezuela have the highest oil and gas intensities. The global average upstream intensity has fallen about 10 percent since 2019, but the best performers are more than 100 times better than the worst.
How much could be cut with existing technology?
The IEA says about 70 percent of fossil fuel methane, roughly 85 Mt, could be avoided with technology that already exists. That includes about three-quarters of oil and gas emissions and about half of coal emissions. Across the whole energy sector, current technologies could cut emissions by almost 70 percent, or 100 Mt.
What would it cost?
Over 35 Mt of fossil fuel methane, around 30 percent of the potential reductions, could be avoided at no net cost at 2025 prices. For upstream oil and gas, nearly 30 Mt could be abated at no net cost. Most oil and gas measures are cost-effective at a carbon price of about USD 20 per tonne of CO2 equivalent. “No net cost” means the value of the captured gas covers the cost of the measure, which is a feature of the IEA’s method and depends on gas prices.
Why does flaring matter?
Cutting oil and gas methane could make nearly 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas available each year. Eliminating non-emergency flaring worldwide could unlock a further 100 bcm. In the short term, about 15 bcm could be made available. That is why the IEA links methane cuts to energy security as well as climate.
What do satellites show?
In 2025, satellites detected more than 5 Mt of methane from very large oil and gas emission events. The Tracker now also uses higher-resolution satellites that detect flows above 1 tonne per hour, in addition to the TROPOMI instrument, which has a 5 tonne per hour threshold. Only about 12 percent of notifications sent through the UN Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) received a response in 2025. The IEA says that expedited mitigation of those notified events could have cut around 6 Mt of oil and gas emissions.
What do policies change?
The IEA says that tried-and-tested policies could cut oil and gas emissions by more than half, and that adding policies that rely on precise measurement data could cut them by more than 75 percent. Existing policies would cut energy sector emissions by about 25 percent by 2035. The Global Methane Pledge now includes 159 countries plus the European Union. Imports also matter: imported fossil fuel methane, 15 Mt in 2024, far exceeds domestic emissions of 5 Mt for the EU, the UK, Japan, Korea and China combined.
How to read these numbers
The IEA states there is no sign that fossil fuel methane emissions are falling, despite known ways to cut them. Our own reading is that the report separates two questions: what is technically possible, and what is happening. The first answer is encouraging, and the second is not. For context on warming, see our explainers on the greenhouse effect and climate change, and our report on the latest CO2 emissions.
Frequently asked questions
How much methane comes from energy?
Nearly 150 Mt in 2025, around 40 percent of human-caused methane, according to the IEA.
Which fuel emits the most?
Oil, about 45 Mt, then coal at about 43 Mt and natural gas at about 36 Mt, though the report’s sections differ slightly.
Can methane emissions be cut cheaply?
About 30 percent of the fossil fuel reductions could be achieved at no net cost.
Are emissions falling?
The IEA says there is no sign that fossil fuel methane emissions are falling.