Cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to slow near-term warming, and upstream oil and gas is a key target for abatement. The opportunity is concentrated: Rystad Energy analysis shows the most intensive 10% of production emits 57% of upstream methane, so targeting a small share of assets could deliver a large share of the reduction. The incentive to act is also growing. Global pledges are giving way to regulation and buyer requirements, with importers and gas buyers increasingly demanding verified low-methane supply. Measurement, reporting and verification underpin that shift: they make certification credible, which lets buyers pay for lower-methane gas and rewards the best operators with access to new markets.

With methane reduction on the COP31 Action Agenda in Antalya, get up to speed on the latest in methane with Rystad Energy and Yvette Manolas Consulting’s new whitepaper.