New $100 million investment will create "Methane Response Basecamps" and expand satellite constellation to find and fix leaks faster than ever before

Belém, Brazil, and New York, NY - UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions Michael R. Bloomberg today announced a new $100 million investment to accelerate global efforts to cut methane emissions - one of the most potent greenhouse gases and air pollutants. The Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative will build on growing international momentum to tackle methane, which has more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. There is broad agreement across science, public health, business, and industry that reducing methane emissions is one of the fastest, most cost-effective, and high-impact levers to make real progress. The new initiative will aim to deliver immediate benefits by improving air quality and protecting public health, while reducing waste in the energy system, which costs companies money.

"We know how to measure methane, and we know how to stop it. What's needed now is the infrastructure to do it everywhere," said Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies. "Cutting methane is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways we can slow global warming this decade - and this investment helps build the system to deliver results, fast."

"Methane, one of the most potent heat-trapping gases, is too often hidden in plain sight. Drastic cuts this decade are essential - and most can be achieved quickly and cheaply," said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations. "This initiative can help usher in a new era of transparency and accountability. We have the technologies. What we need now is maximum ambition, acceleration, and cooperation to keep 1.5°C in reach."

"Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, we now have the technology and the international momentum to act quickly and effectively against coal and methane - the decisive front in the battle against climate change. But methane emissions are still rising. At the Paris Peace Forum, I called for a global alliance dedicated to action on methane, gathering all those who can bring concrete solutions to cut emissions," said Emmanuel Macron, President of France. "France welcomes this bold new investment and stands ready to work alongside Bloomberg Philanthropies and all partners to deliver concrete results for climate, health, and our shared future."

Building on Bloomberg Philanthropies' long-standing work on methane reduction, the commitment will expand global satellite monitoring capabilities, strengthen policy action across nine key countries and nine U.S. states, and build up global impact networks that will drive action on methane super emitters detected from space in areas with the greatest emissions reduction potential. Together, these efforts support a comprehensive global methane emissions reduction system of "Methane Response Basecamps (MRBs)" transforming how super-emitters are detected, reported, and repaired, informing policy solutions, and turning data into immediate climate and public health action.

"This initiative aligns closely with Europe's commitment to decarbonise our economy based on science, regulation, and partnership to cut emissions quickly and fairly," said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition. "Reducing methane is one of the most effective ways to deliver near-term climate results while improving air quality and public health. The European Commission is advancing strong legislation to monitor, report, and reduce methane emissions, and we welcome collaboration with partners like Bloomberg Philanthropies and other allies of the methane pledge."

"Brazil has shown that satellite monitoring can drive real accountability. We've used it to protect the Amazon, and now the same technology can help tackle methane emissions worldwide," said Ana Toni, Executive Director of COP30. "As we prepare for COP30 in Belém, this is exactly the type of initiative we need: ambitious technology combined with practical implementation that delivers immediate benefits for public health and the climate."

Reducing global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030 could have the same impact as removing about 10 gigatons of CO₂ - equivalent to shutting down more than 2,000 coal-fired power plants - while preventing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and asthma-related hospital visits linked to air pollution. Yet detecting and stopping leaks has long been a challenge, limited by gaps in monitoring and response systems.

Backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies and a network of global partners, including Carbon Mapper, the Global Methane Hub, UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory and others, the next phase of work will:

• Expand global coverage: Activate data from a growing constellation of methane-tracking satellites, which will deliver enhanced global coverage and high-resolution data of methane leaks.
• Scale up global alert networks to speed response: Dedicated methane action networks will close the "last mile" between data and action. This investment will enhance efforts to achieve methane reduction outcomes, including: direct engagement with companies, utilities, and government regulators on oil, gas, and coal methane super-emitters; tracking repair efforts; and maintaining publicly accessible data to ensure a rapid response and transparency.
• Accelerate government partnerships and industry action: Expand and strengthen collaboration with governments and partner organizations across nine major methane-emitting countries - including Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, and Nigeria - as well as nine key U.S. states including California, Texas, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. These efforts will focus on advancing policy design, implementation, and accountability, and also help bolster the intensity standards that both governments and industry are working to achieve. By harnessing cutting-edge technology, robust infrastructure, and decisive policy action, we will demonstrate that rapid, cost-effective methane reductions are achievable at scale.
• Build global capacity and technical expertise: Strengthen the ability of governments, journalists, civil society, and facility operators to use and integrate remote-sensing emissions data to drive reductions in methane emissions. This includes expanding training programs, educational tools, and research and analysis that connect super-emitter data to practical applications and measurable outcomes, empowering stakeholders worldwide.

"We deeply appreciate the vision and continued support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, spearheading a global network that will further bridge the gap between data and action on methane emissions," said Riley Duren, CEO and founder of Carbon Mapper. "This collaboration across partner organizations will help decision makers leverage remote sensing emissions data to achieve methane reductions and protect their communities."

"Cutting methane is the way we can pull the emergency brake on climate change. It can slow warming faster than any other action we take this decade. But we can't pull that brake without everyone's hands on it. Less than two percent of climate finance targets methane, making investments like this one crucial in the race to halt global warming," said Marcelo Mena, CEO of Global Methane Hub. "Bloomberg Philanthropies' commitment to turning data into rapid action will further our mission at the Global Methane Hub to accelerate progress by governments, civil society, researchers, and the private sector to develop and implement strategies that will catalyze systemic reductions in methane emissions in the energy, waste and agriculture sectors."

With this announcement, Bloomberg Philanthropies has committed $172 million to methane reduction since 2019, helping to launch breakthrough partnerships such as the Global Methane Hub and Carbon Mapper, as well as innovative efforts led by the Environmental Defense Fund, the International Energy Agency, RMI, and the UN Environment Programme's International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO).

This new investment will strengthen the all-hands-on-deck approach by deepening collaboration between Carbon Mapper and IMEO, ensuring that shared data from the growing fleet of methane satellites drives coordinated global action.

"Finding and fixing methane super emitters is a key component to addressing increasingly powerful storms and their devastating impact on communities," said Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund.

To date, the first satellite built by Planet to detect super-emitters, developed through a public-private partnership led by Carbon Mapper and launched with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies in 2024, has already detected over 6,000 super-emitting methane plumes worldwide. And in September of this year, Global Methane Hub facilitated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Kazakhstan to strengthen cooperation in reducing methane emissions through national planning, monitoring, and regulations. Through its Methane Alert and Response System (MARS), UNEP's IMEO has notified governments and companies of over 4,000 plumes in the oil and gas sector. In the U.S., early interventions informed by methane emissions data have led to rapid repairs of major leaks in Texas, New Mexico, and California, preventing emissions equivalent to those from hundreds of thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles.

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About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2024, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3.7 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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