As someone who has spent years in the energy sector, I’ve seen the power of collective action in addressing the climate challenge. Still, there’s one issue where action needs to scale up: methane emissions.

This potent greenhouse gas (GHG), while often overshadowed by CO₂ in public discourse, is a significant driver of global warming. The reality is that methane accounts for more than 25% of the global warming we’re experiencing today (according to UNEP), and its effects are immediate and intense.

Methane emissions from oil and gas represent around half the oil and gas sector’s total upstream GHG emissions. Reducing those emissions could deliver a significant near-term reduction in the pace of global warming and help meet Paris Agreement ambitions.

Over the past decade, thanks to the scaling up of technologies that find and stop leaks, and by avoiding non-emergency flaring and venting, a significant portion of methane emissions in the oil and gas industry can now be tackled cost effectively.

So we have a real opportunity to have a positive impact on the climate if we step up action now.

The opportunity we can’t afford to miss
What makes methane reduction so urgent is its potency as a GHG. While methane is less abundant than CO₂, it is far more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere – up to 80 times more powerful during the 20 years after it is released into the atmosphere (according to the European Space Agency, ESA). This means that reducing methane emissions today could yield significant short-term benefits, slowing the warming that’s already threatening our planet.

Methane emissions from oil and gas represent around half the oil and gas sector’s total upstream greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing those emissions could deliver a significant near-term reduction in the pace of global warming and help meet Paris Agreement ambitions.

The good news is that we have the tools and technologies to address this issue.

Methane detection and monitoring technologies, such as satellite systems, drones and infrared cameras, have advanced significantly in recent years. This has made it possible to identify methane leaks in real-time and address them quickly.

Costs associated with reducing methane emissions are also coming down. The International Energy Agency estimates that up to 40% of emissions reductions can be achieved at zero net cost.

Short-term activities to reduce methane emissions can include improved flaring and venting controls, leak detection and repair campaigns, and equipment and system upgrades.

Longer-term measures can include a build-out of gas handling infrastructure to process – and monetise – methane that would otherwise have been released to the atmosphere.

But we can’t do this alone. Addressing methane emissions is a collective challenge, and it requires cooperation across industries, borders and sectors.

How OGCI is leading the way
That’s where the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) comes in. As Chair of OGCI’s Executive Committee, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made.

OGCI’s 12 member companies were the first in the oil and gas sector to agree a collective target to reduce upstream methane intensity. We set ambitious goals, and we’ve exceeded them years ahead of schedule.

Since 2017, our members have more than halved their collective upstream methane emissions, and we’ve reduced routine gas flaring by 53%. Our methane intensity in 2023 was just under 0.14%, a remarkable reduction from where we started.

But our work doesn’t stop there.

OGCI is committed to collaborating with others across the industry to share best practices, technologies and expertise. OGCI is the Secretariat of the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), where over 50 oil and gas companies, including many national oil companies, have committed to reduce their upstream methane emissions to near zero and eliminate routine flaring by 2030.

OGCI’s Satellite Monitoring Campaign is another key initiative. Through this programme, we’ve been able to help local operators in countries such as Iraq, Algeria and Kazakhstan detect methane emissions and implement strategies to reduce them.

This collaboration is a critical part of our strategy, and it highlights the importance of working together across borders to meet global climate goals.

Where we go from here
At OGCI, we’ve shown that it is possible to significantly reduce methane emissions in a cost-effective and efficient way. But to have a greater impact, there’s more work to do – for us and the rest of the industry, which is at different stages of tackling its methane emissions.

This means scaling up existing efforts and working with governments, international organisations and other sectors to create a coordinated approach that has a better chance of success.

In my role as Chair of OGCI, I’m particularly focused on ensuring that we continue to drive innovation and collaboration to make methane reduction a global priority.

Our collective success depends on all of us taking action – together. We must ensure that the policies and technologies to reduce methane are available everywhere, not just in the developed world. That’s why the work we’re doing in countries like Iraq, Algeria and Kazakhstan is so important. The methane problem is a global one, and our response must be global too.

It’s time to mobilise
We’ve already seen what’s possible when industry leaders come together to take action on methane. And now we need to scale up those efforts to have a greater impact. We have an opportunity to significantly reduce global warming in the short term by addressing methane, and it’s one we can’t afford to miss. The technology is available and scaling up, costs are coming down, and the willingness to act is growing. Now is the time to turn our collective efforts into lasting change.

As I prepare to engage with colleagues from across the energy industry at International Energy Week 2025, I’m reminded of how much we can achieve when we work together. The future of our planet depends on it, and I am confident that our sector will continue to lead the way in reducing methane emissions and creating a more sustainable energy future.

*Sverdrup is moderating the Tuesday morning session ‘Decarbonising oil and gas at speed and scale’ on 25 February. Click here for more information about that session, and the International Energy Week 2025 programme as a whole.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are strictly those of the author only and are not necessarily given or endorsed by or on behalf of the Energy Institute.

• Further reading: ‘Monitoring and measuring methane’. Reducing upstream emissions of methane has been a hot topic over the past 12 months, and industry bodies are following with the publication of significant technical guidance. However, methane measurement standards are lagging behind.
• Find more about OGCI’s Aiming for Zero Methane Emissions Initiative, which calls for an all-in approach that treats energy industry methane emissions as seriously as the industry treats safety.