UN urges swift methane cuts with nine‑point plan as climate report warns of record warming

U.N. Secretary‑General António Guterres presented a roadmap of nine priority actions aimed at rapidly cutting methane emissions, the gas responsible for about one‑third of observed global warming. The plan targets the three biggest methane sources – fossil‑fuel operations, agriculture and solid‑waste management – and calls for immediate sealing of natural‑gas leaks, ending routine venting, shifting to climate‑friendly farming practices and building low‑emission urban waste systems. Guterres stressed that fast methane reductions would not only slow temperature rise but also deliver immediate health and economic benefits.

A newly released Indicators of Global Climate Change (IGCC) report found that global warming reached 1.37 °C above pre‑industrial levels and warned that the 1.5 °C threshold could be crossed within four years if current trends continue. The study recorded a historic peak of 56.8 billion tonnes of CO₂‑equivalent emissions in 2024, a record energy imbalance, and a sea‑level rise of 23 cm in 2025. It also highlighted a sharp increase in marine heatwaves and coastal flooding, underscoring the accelerating impacts of climate change worldwide.