World officials are calling for faster action to reduce methane emissions from the fossil fuel sector, arguing it would help slow climate change and boost energy security. France, as rotating president of the Group of Seven industrialised powers, organised a meeting with government officials and industry leaders to build momentum on reducing methane emissions ahead of the UN's COP31 climate summit. Methane, the second biggest contributor to climate change, stays in the atmosphere for far less time than carbon dioxide, but its warming effect is 80 times more potent over a 20-year period. The International Energy Agency reported that there is still no sign of methane emissions falling from fossil fuel operations, despite well-known mitigation pathways. Officials at the Paris conference suggested that reducing leaks and flaring from oil and gas operations could increase the availability of energy while reducing planet-heating emissions.