Senegal Launches Plan to Cut Methane Emissions

Senegal is stepping up as a climate leader with an ambitious new roadmap to slash methane emissions and other harmful pollutants that warm our planet.

The West African nation has launched its National Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Plan and Methane Mitigation Roadmap, partnering with the Stockholm Environment Institute to build real solutions. Running through 2027, the project will help Senegal's Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition pinpoint where these pollutants come from and develop targeted strategies to reduce them.

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that traps over 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide in the short term. By tackling it head-on, Senegal can make immediate progress on cooling the planet while buying time for longer-term climate solutions.

The initiative uses the Low Emissions Analysis Platform, a sophisticated yet accessible tool that helps countries plan their energy futures and assess climate strategies. This means Senegal won't be guessing at solutions but will have data-driven insights to guide every decision.

Senegal isn't working alone. The project operates under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a global partnership dedicated to protecting both the climate and public health by reducing pollutants that harm both.

The Ripple Effect

This move positions Senegal as a regional trailblazer in West Africa. Chad has already followed suit, launching its own similar plan in February 2025, proving that bold climate action can inspire neighbors to act.

When countries cut methane emissions, the benefits multiply quickly. Cleaner air means healthier communities, especially for children and vulnerable populations who suffer most from pollution. Meanwhile, reducing these short-lived pollutants delivers faster climate results than carbon dioxide cuts alone, offering hope that we can slow warming in our lifetimes.

The project also strengthens Senegal's institutional capacity, training government officials and building systems that will serve the country for decades. These aren't temporary fixes but foundations for sustained environmental progress.

As developing nations often bear the brunt of climate impacts they didn't cause, Senegal's proactive stance shows that solutions can come from anywhere. The country is proving that you don't need to be the world's largest economy to lead on climate innovation.

With this roadmap in hand, Senegal is writing a new story about climate action in Africa.