The CCAC was delighted to support the IEA and AFREC convened methane roundtable in Abuja on 24–25 November, held in close partnership with IMEO and other key partners including the Global Methane Hub, the Clean Air Task Force, EDF, NRGI, and others. These gatherings created a valuable space for countries to exchange practical experience and align on the next steps needed to accelerate methane action.
Over the course of two days, delegates from 10 sub-Saharan African countries, including hosts Nigeria, came together to explore practical pathways for reducing methane emissions to the lowest levels possible through effective mitigation, improved measurement, and transparent reporting. Countries shared their national approaches, experiences, and lessons learned. The CCAC’s James Garvie and Carlos de Regules, highlighted that the benefits of methane mitigation extend far beyond climate action. Reducing methane prevents the loss of a valuable product, supports energy security and foreign currency balances, enhances asset integrity, strengthens worker and community safety, and improves air quality. These improvements protect public health and boost agricultural productivity. Increasingly, strong methane management is also a prerequisite for accessing finance and securing entry into international markets.
Sessions introduced the CCAC’s Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme (FFRP), implemented jointly with the Clean Air Task Force, which supports countries in understanding their emissions, identifying cost-effective reduction opportunities, designing and implementing regulatory frameworks, and building appropriate MRV systems along with hands-on implementation support. The CCAC also highlighted the recently launched Methane Regulator to Regulator Network, known as MR2R, which provides a safe and supportive peer to peer space for regulators from different countries to share practical experience, ideas, and lessons relevant to their regional context. FFRP builds directly on the technical regulatory evaluation process through which countries explored the maturity of their regulatory approach using the IEA Regulatory Roadmap and Toolkit, with CCAC and partners facilitating country led discussions.
The roundtable discussions aligned closely with the themes of the UK led Fossil Fuel Methane Statement launched at COP30. The statement calls for drastically reducing methane emissions in the global fossil fuel sector through coordinated international effort and shared partnership, aiming to drive near zero methane emissions across the global oil, gas, and coal value chain. That spirit of collaboration continued as the inaugural MR2R event took place just after the roundtable on 26 November during the CATF convened Nigeria and Ghana exchange, where regulators shared their experiences in implementing regulatory frameworks and expressed strong interest in continuing future exchanges.
Ahead of the Abuja meetings, the CCAC also engaged 385 delegates from the Ministry of Petroleum, ministry affiliated companies, and the private sector in Cairo. Presentations focused on the urgency of acting on methane, the wide-ranging benefits of mitigation, and the practical measures available to reduce emissions. Discussions also explored how international cooperation aligns with private sector initiatives such as the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter, and how financial markets increasingly expect methane management to be embedded in day-to-day operational practice. The CCAC also highlighted how individuals can contribute through food and organic waste management, showing how personal actions to reduce methane at home can help drive awareness in the workplace.
During a dedicated session with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources the following day, the CCAC explored opportunities for collaboration in Egypt. This included refining a potential FFRP project, integrating partner workstreams to prepare a national methane roadmap, and strengthening engagement on OGMP 2.0 and IMEO’s Methane Alert and Response System. Our thanks go to the Ministry’s team for their very positive and forward-looking engagement.
Together, these conversations in Abuja and Cairo underscored a simple truth, countries across the region are ready to move from plans to real delivery. With partners aligned and practical tools in place, the CCAC will continue working side by side with governments to turn commitment into measurable progress on methane.