Tackling emissions of methane now, is essential to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, according to a new report issued by the UN-backed Global Methane Forum on Wednesday.

The Forum is meeting in Geneva, hosted by the UN Economic Commission for Europe, the UN Environment Programme-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition and other partners.

Political momentum is building towards methane mitigation and new technology is allowing more accurate measurement, revealing the urgent need to turn commitment into real cuts, the Forum said in a press release.

Nearly 500 participants from across the world have been sharing success stories to catalyze methane emission reductions in line with the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce emissions by at least 30 per cent from 2020 levels up to end of this decade. It now has 157 countries and the European Union on board.

A powerful greenhouse gas, methane has a warming effect over 80 times greater than CO2 over a 20-year timeframe, which means action to cut emissions now can unlock significant near-term benefits for climate action.

The gas is responsible for around 30% of total warming since the Industrial Revolution and is the second largest contributor to global warming after CO2.

Turning pledges into action

UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean opened the plenary session on Tuesday by making a global call to mobilize more ambitious action: “Hand in hand with decarbonization of energy systems, methane emissions need to be addressed in governments’ plans for stronger climate action.”

Meeting the Global Methane Pledge goals could reduce global warming by at least 0.2° C by 2050.

“In view of the devastation and suffering caused by extreme weather events, in particular in the most vulnerable countries, the world can simply not afford to miss this opportunity”, she added.