Frontier25 has released its UAE Methane Policy Review 2026: Accelerating Collective Action on Methane and Air Quality, the culmination of a year-long collaborative research project that examines how the UAE can build on its strong starting position to capture these benefits. Taking a full and in-depth view of methane emissions in the UAE and beyond and its impact on public health, the review sets out six policy recommendations, spanning public health and air quality, measurement and reporting, methane detection and mitigation, market incentives, national and sectoral targets, and regional cooperation.
The UAE’s methane emissions are estimated to have been at around 1.3 million tonnes in 2024, among the lowest totals of 11 major energy-producing countries analysed. Still, there are opportunities for further progress, with the largest sources of UAE methane emissions being the wastewater sector, where emissions are growing by around five per cent annually, and the solid waste and agriculture sector, where they are growing by around three per cent, highlighting these sectors as emerging priorities for action.
Worldwide, the UAE emits less than one per cent of global anthropogenic emissions and oil-and-gas methane emissions alone are projected to fall in the country by close to 30 per cent from 2025 levels by 2035. However, achieving the Global Methane Pledge’s collective goal of reducing emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 requires more focused action across the globe, particularly from the world’s largest emitting sectors and economies.
Dr Nicholas Howarth, Director of Strategy & Programmes at Frontier25, said: “Methane and its impacts do not stop at national borders. Countries across the region share challenges around measurement, technology, and investment, creating an opportunity to build on the UAE’s experience and strengthen practical cooperation across the Gulf and wider region.”
Methane is responsible for around 30 per cent of global warming since the Industrial Revolution. It is also a major contributor to ground-level ozone, a harmful air pollutant linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Globally, rapid reductions in methane emissions could help avoid around 775,000 asthma-related hospital visits, 73 billion hours of lost labour, and 25 million tonnes of crop losses each year.
To download the full version of the UAE Methane Policy Review 2026 visit the Frontier25 website: UAE Methane Policy Review 2026 | FRONTIER25.
