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Stiell urges countries to prioritise methane cuts, says every dollar invested delivers $15 in economic gains – EnviroNews
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The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell, has urged countries to prioritise reductions in methane and other super-pollutant emissions, describing them as among the fastest and most cost-effective ways to slow global warming and deliver economic and public health benefits.
Stiell made the call on Thursday, November 12, 2026, while delivering a speech at the Leaders-Level Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases Summit at the ongoing 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
He said tackling methane and other super pollutants offered an opportunity to achieve rapid climate benefits while strengthening economies, improving agricultural productivity and reducing air pollution.
According to him, methane reduction is one of the fastest, cheapest and most effective ways to limit global heating in the near term, particularly as climate-driven disasters continue to destroy livelihoods, disrupt economic activities and fuel inflation.
“In a world of suffocating disasters, action on methane offers breathing space,” he said.
Stiell warned that the impacts of climate change would become increasingly severe as global temperatures continued to rise, stressing that rapid reductions in methane emissions were essential to limiting near-term warming and keeping any overshoot of the 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature threshold as short and limited as possible.
He, however, emphasised that methane reduction must go hand in hand with rapid cuts in carbon dioxide emissions to prevent more severe global temperature increases.
“For small island states like mine, methane reduction buys us time,” he said.
Highlighting opportunities for reducing emissions across the oil and gas, waste and agricultural sectors, the UN climate chief said about 70 per cent of methane emissions from the oil and gas industry could be eliminated using existing technologies, much of which could be deployed at little or no net cost.
He added that 75 per cent of potential methane reductions in the solid waste sector could generate financial savings, as the economic value of captured methane could exceed the investment required to recover and utilise it.
Stiell said the benefits of accelerating these solutions extended beyond climate mitigation to include improved energy efficiency, cleaner air, stronger agricultural harvests, lower costs and reduced deaths associated with pollution.
Citing findings by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, he said every dollar invested in key super-pollutant reduction measures could deliver $15 in economic gains alone.
“The business case is absolutely clear,” he stressed.
He also drew attention to the economic losses associated with gas flaring, revealing that approximately 167 billion cubic metres of gas were flared annually during oil and gas production worldwide.
According to him, the practice represents an estimated $54 billion in lost energy value every year.
“And that’s money going up in smoke,” he said.
On the growing international commitment to methane reduction, Stiell disclosed that more than 90 per cent of countries, representing approximately three-quarters of global methane emissions, had incorporated measures to reduce the pollutant into their latest Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
He said the priority now was to translate these commitments into concrete policies, investments and implementation programmes.
Stiell expressed optimism that COP31 could help countries access practical solutions and build momentum for reducing methane emissions, particularly through the COP Presidency’s targets on methane and waste.
He also highlighted initiatives such as the Super Pollutant Country Action Accelerator as important platforms for providing countries with the technical and institutional support needed to implement their commitments.
The UNFCCC chief outlined four priorities for governments and other stakeholders to accelerate action on methane and other super pollutants.
First, he urged countries to make methane and other short-lived climate pollutants a priority by incorporating specific reduction targets into their national climate plans and supporting them with policies covering key economic sectors.
He also called on governments to encourage industries to invest in technologies and solutions that reduce emissions.
Second, he urged countries to mobilise more public and private financing for super-pollutant reduction, particularly through development banks and climate funds.
He expressed concern over the limited funding currently allocated to the sector, noting that only about 0.5 per cent of climate finance earmarked for emissions reductions in 2023 went towards tackling super pollutants.
Third, Stiell called for greater investment in institutions, technical capacity and project pipelines to help countries develop and implement viable emissions-reduction programmes.
Fourth, he urged governments and other stakeholders to take advantage of the newly operational Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism, the United Nations carbon market established under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
He said one of the mechanism’s initial areas of focus was landfill methane, where projects that capture the gas and put it to productive use could receive carbon credits.
Stiell maintained that reducing super-pollutant emissions represented an opportunity to deliver immediate climate benefits while creating economic value and improving human health.
“Super pollutants are a supersize opportunity. And it’s low hanging. For the climate, for economies, and for human health,” he said.
He urged world leaders to seize the opportunity by strengthening national commitments, mobilising finance and accelerating the deployment of available technologies and solutions.