50 oil companies pledge to reach near-zero methane emissions by 2030

Oil refinery (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File)

Fifty oil companies representing nearly half of global production have pledged to reach near-zero methane emissions and end routine flaring in their operations by 2030, the president of the United Nations climate talks said.

The announcement by Sultan al-Jaber, president of the Cop28 summit and head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, came as he and others have insisted his background would allow him to bring oil companies to the negotiating table.