As momentum builds toward decarbonization and cleaner, more efficient energy systems, methane mitigation continues to be one of the most impactful and actionable levers for near-term climate mitigation. The methane moment is here — from rapidly growing observations in air and space to new frameworks for policy and market incentives. There is a growing ecosystem of stakeholders, including scientists and innovators, working to turn emissions that were otherwise invisible into opportunities for energy recovery, climate risk reduction, and global competitiveness.

So far in 2025, there has been a significant focus on the role of remote sensing in supporting emissions monitoring for the global energy sector, including at CERAWeek and other global conferences and convenings. 

Across various stakeholder discussions, it's increasingly clear that high-resolution methane data is driving real change – from minimizing inefficiencies and product loss to boosting market competitiveness and protecting public health.

Five key takeaways for remote sensing in the energy sector:

1. A Collaborative Monitoring Approach is Essential for Methane Mitigation

Collaboration across public and private sectors — including industry, policymakers, NGOs and government agencies — is critical for driving methane reduction efforts. No single tool or technology can fully monitor all emissions. Rather, a “system of systems” — a portfolio of technologies and approaches, including ground, airborne, and satellite observation tools — is needed to provide a complete picture of methane emissions. These types of monitoring range from tools that provide greater visibility into the aggregated totals of methane over wide areas to tools that pinpoint large emission events and super-emitters at their source to drive mitigation efforts.

Remote sensing fills gaps in the current emissions data landscape, offering a scalable and comprehensive approach for methane detection and quantification that can be used to drive meaningful action. With technology and methods that have been proven by decades of research and field tests, remote sensing can not only detect but also quantify emissions — making it an important part of any monitoring strategy. It can be paired with ground and airborne-based monitoring and measurement to offer a full picture of methane emissions at a specific facility.

 2. Global and Local Incentives Can Drive Methane Action

 Policy and financial incentives at state and local levels in the U.S., and subnational levels internationally, play a key role in accelerating methane reduction efforts. Data-driven insights from remote sensing tools can help companies navigate evolving regulatory landscapes, ensuring compliance while also unlocking opportunities for proactive leadership. And industry actors are eager to bridge the gap between voluntary action and regulatory requirements. The role of state policy on issues, such as emissions reporting, flaring and venting regulations, methane intensity standards, and financial incentives, is a major topic of discussion.

Importantly, actionable data can help foster collaboration between state regulators and operators. Data from Carbon Mapper airborne surveys in the U.S. have shown that when decision makers have access to data, nearly 50% of operators take action to mitigate emissions — often quickly and cost-effectively. As individual states and jurisdictions take action to address methane, this also emphasizes a need for harmonization to respond to a more fragmented regulatory landscape.

3. Industry Leadership is Important for Energy Competitiveness

The energy sector has an opportunity to lead on methane monitoring and mitigation at a critical juncture. Companies that proactively engage with advanced data solutions — based on empirical, transparent monitoring methods — can set industry benchmarks and drive meaningful change. Leadership in this space not only enhances environmental responsibility and financial resilience, but also helps build trust with regulators, investors, and the public. Leading energy companies at CERAWeek spoke about the critical role climate leadership has played and will continue to play in ensuring company and national level market competitiveness.

4. Translating Methane Data to Action is the New Challenge 

With new methane-detecting satellites programs led by Carbon Mapper and the Environmental Defense Fund launched last year and already starting to publish data, the current challenge facing the energy sector is no longer a lack of methane data. Rather, it’s translating that data into actionable insights and mitigation.

Financial institutions and corporations face an increasing need to identify market-based solutions across carbon markets, climate finance, and reporting to meet emissions reduction targets. There has also been growing discussion around how to integrate methane abatement targets into critical avenues for financing — especially among institutional investors and development finance institutions. Remote sensing methane data can feed verification mechanisms for climate finance and help boost environmental returns on investment. Meanwhile oil and gas stakeholders can use Carbon Mapper’s data to pinpoint the exact sources of methane super-emitters and quantify emission rates for swift, effective action.

 Energy operators, policymakers and industry leaders need clear, operational guidance to continue to implement findings from remote sensing and other monitoring tools. Bridging the gap between data collection and decision-making is crucial to ensuring methane emissions reductions and verification.

5. A New Era of Data Transparency is Emerging for the Energy Industry

Companies are increasingly embracing data transparency, monitoring, and voluntary reporting initiatives. While compliance-driven regulations such as EU Methane Regulation, which aims to curb methane emissions from fossil fuel imports, are pushing for methane emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification requirements, voluntary markets are also playing a role in shaping industry norms. Leveraging high-quality data from direct observations for reporting will be key to maintaining credibility, finding and fixing methane emissions leaks, and driving meaningful mitigation progress.

Stakeholders are making clear that the future of methane mitigation depends on cross-sector collaboration, industry leadership, and effective, data-based action. With the right mix of technology, policy incentives, and data-informed strategy, the energy sector can take meaningful steps toward reducing emissions — delivering both climate wins and business gains. An abundance of actionable emissions data and industry collaboration are enabling the sector to lead the energy transition.