Pledges to Progress 2025: Tracking methane transparency in the oil and gas industry

Turning ambition into action

As global energy markets shift toward cleaner, lower-emission supplies, strong methane performance has become a defining test of industry credibility and competitiveness. Eighty-two companies – responsible for more than half of global oil and gas production – have publicly pledged to cut methane. Yet a third are yet to back that promise with publicly available data.

The 2025 Pledges to Progress Report and Company Assessment offer the first independent, company-level transparency baseline showing how major producers are reporting progress toward their methane and flaring goals. Built on last year’s Accountability Framework, it consists of 25 company-specific metrics for companies accounting for  80% of global oil and gas production. 

Download the 2025 Pledges to Progress Report [PDF]

Access the 2025 Pledges to Progress Company Assessment

What the 2025 Pledges to Progress Company Assessment shows

• Ambitious targets aren’t backed up by clear plans. Many companies have pledged near-zero methane and flaring by 2030, but only a fraction provide the transparent, public strategies and data needed to show how they will deliver.
• Strategy remains the weakest link. A credible plan to cut methane has to go beyond slogans—it should outline where emissions come from, what initiatives will be used to reduce them, and how much the efforts will cost. Only seven companies met that standard.
• Framework participation correlates with stronger methane performance. Companies active in respected voluntary industry initiatives like OGDC, OGMP 2.0, or OGCI scored noticeably higher. These collaborative efforts promote consistent measurement, reporting and mitigation—building accountability and a clearer picture of who’s making real progress.
• Leadership examples exist across company sizes. From Equinor and ConocoPhillips to mid-cap producers like Murphy Oil, transparent, verifiable progress is achievable for operators of all scales.
• The gap remains wide. Nearly one in five companies scored near the bottom, underscoring that transparency and accountability are still far from industry standard. 

Why methane transparency matters now

• Europe and Asia are increasingly factoring verified methane data into their procurement decisions, with frameworks like OGMP 2.0 beginning to shape how suppliers demonstrate credible emissions performance to key markets.
• Leading banks, investors, and insurers increasingly evaluate methane performance as part of their due diligence—and some are beginning to make financing conditional on clear standards for methane reduction and disclosure.
• Regulators are moving toward stronger operational, emissions-limiting standards that will require companies to implement and report on their methane and flaring reductions.
• In short, transparency turns company efforts into value. Disclosing credible methane data allows companies to demonstrate results, gain recognition for real progress, and convert climate action into tangible business, reputational and policy benefits.

Opportunities for immediate action

• Framework participation pays off. Companies participating in OGMP 2.0, OGDC and OGCI consistently perform better on transparency and implementation. OGMP 2.0, UNEP’s flagship methane reporting initiative, is the only comprehensive, measurement-based framework that improves emissions data, transparency, and mitigation—while OGDC and OGCI drive shared standards and collaboration across the sector.
• Collaboration is growing. More than 25 companies are joining forces on methane detection, data-sharing, and equipment replacement projects—showing how peer learning accelerates credible results, especially for under-resourced operators.
• Technology is available now. The tools and technology to detect and reduce methane already exist—and they’re cost-effective. The challenge isn’t technology—it’s using it more widely and transparently.
• Financial transparency remains limited. No company fully reports its methane abatement investments, leaving unclear how much funding supports emission-reduction targets. Greater disclosure would build trust and confidence in all other climate reporting. 

Looking ahead

This baseline is meant to evolve. As reporting strengthens and companies continue making progress, each edition of Pledges to Progress will provide a clearer picture of industry-wide transparency and follow-through.

The Company Assessment will be updated annually to track how companies are delivering on their methane and flaring pledges—highlighting emerging progress, recognizing leaders, and identifying where additional action is needed. With 2030 goals approaching quickly, the industry must move beyond pledges to proof, backed by high-quality, public data.

Download the 2025 Pledges to Progress Report [PDF]