Methane is one of the most important opportunities for slowing global warming in the near term. Looking further ahead, methane governance could evolve in several directions. Options range from strengthening accountability within existing voluntary initiatives to developing more formal bilateral or plurilateral agreements among interested countries.

Climate tipping points—critical thresholds beyond which components of the Earth system undergo rapid and often irreversible change pose a growing challenge for global adaptation action. The global climate adaptation architecture—including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement—has made important progress but is not yet fully equipped to address systemic, transboundary, and non-linear climate risks, including climate tipping points.

This brief was submitted to the UN Framework Convention on […]