Uche Cecil Izuora
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has sustained global emissions reduction campaign targeting fossil fuels emissions from oil and gas fields production.
Hinged on the Global Methane Engagement Programme, which is the IEA’s principal initiative for stakeholder engagement on abatement of methane emissions from the energy sector, the Agency is expanding demand for carbon emissions reduction to protect the environment.
Building on the IEA’s leading analysis on methane abatement from fossil fuel operations, the Global Methane Engagement Programme develops opportunities for cooperation and exchange on methane abatement among key stakeholders, including government officials, regulators, industry representatives and international partners at the global, regional and country-level.
The IEA’s work under the Programme is supported by the annually updated Global Methane Tracker that provides the most comprehensive overview of global and national methane emissions levels, abatement costs and opportunities, and regulatory developments, and the Methane Database, along with various special analytical reports.
Within the framework of the Programme, the IEA has hosted several successful multilateral convenings on methane abatement, beginning with a high-level event at the New York Climate Week 2024 with Minister-level participation, followed by three regional roundtables focused on translating commitments to reduce methane emissions into concrete action.
The first regional roundtable, held in October 2024 in Baku with Azerbaijan’s COP29 Presidency, focused on the Caucasus and Central Asia.
The second took place in Lima in July 2025 in partnership with the Latin American and Caribbean Energy Organization (OLCADE) and Peru’s Ministry of Energy. The third was held in November 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria in partnership with Nigeria’s Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the African Energy Commission (AFREC), focused on Sub-Saharan Africa.
The regional engagements have provided a platform for region-focused dialogue on turning pledges into actionable plans, policies and regulations.
In addition, the events have seen expert presentations on the latest data on methane emissions and methods for reducing them, as well as discussion on the data tools available for monitoring progress and the options available for financing abatement projects. A key focus of the events has been to identify opportunities for future cooperation across the region.
The regional roundtables have now brought together over 500 people from 35 countries to discuss pathways for reducing methane emissions. The next instalments will have a focus on Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa region.
The IEA is supporting the implementation of the objectives and actions identified in the COP30 Statement on Drastically Reducing Methane Emissions in Global Fossil Fuel Sector. The IEA is leading one of two technical workstreams that will support actions on developing a near-zero methane intensity marketplace.
As part of the Programme, the IEA has co-convened the Methane Regulator-to-Regulator (MR2R) Network with the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition, as a global platform for regulators from different jurisdictions to connect with peers, share real-world experiences, and co-develop solutions to shared challenges to methane abatement.
The IEA co-hosted the inaugural plenary meeting of the MR2R Network with CCAC at the IEA headquarters in Paris on 14-15 April 2026.