UN Secretary‑General Guterres launches global methane cut drive at London Climate Action Week

During London Climate Action Week, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned that the world faces a "tale of two crises" – a accelerating climate emergency and an energy system still tied to fossil fuels. He announced a global Call to Action on methane, calling it the single fastest brake on warming because methane accounts for about one‑third of global warming and is roughly 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the short term. Guterres noted that existing technology can eliminate around 70 % of methane emissions from oil and gas operations at low or no net cost, and urged governments and industry to move beyond voluntary measures to enforce near‑zero‑methane standards.

He also launched an AI Environmental Transparency Initiative, asking AI firms to disclose the carbon, water and land footprints of their data centres and to power them with renewable energy by 2030. Emphasising climate justice, Guterres called for financing, technology and capacity‑building support for developing nations to cut methane across agriculture, waste and fossil‑fuel sectors. The speech coincided with a severe heatwave in London, underscoring the immediate health impacts of climate change.