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EU agrees law to hit fossil fuel imports with methane emissions limit
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(Reuters) – The European Union reached a deal on Wednesday on a law to place methane emissions limits on Europe’s oil and gas imports from 2030, pressuring international suppliers to clamp down on leaks of the potent greenhouse gas.
(Reuters) – The European Union reached a deal on Wednesday on a law to place methane emissions limits on Europe’s oil and gas imports from 2030, pressuring international suppliers to clamp down on leaks of the potent greenhouse gas.
Methane is the second-biggest cause of climate change after carbon dioxide, and in the short term has a far higher warming effect. Rapid cuts in methane emissions this decade are crucial if the world is to avoid severe climate change.
After all-night talks, negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament agreed to impose “maximum methane intensity values” by 2030 on producers abroad sending fossil fuels into Europe, the council of the EU, which represents member states, said in a statement.
The import rules are likely to hit major gas suppliers which include the United States, Algeria and Russia. Moscow slashed deliveries to Europe last year and has since been replaced as Europe’s biggest pipeline gas supplier by Norway – whose supply has among the world’s lowest methane intensity.
“Finally, the EU tackles the second most important greenhouse gas with ambitious measures,” said Jutta Paulus, the EU Parliament’s co-lead negotiator, adding that the law “will have repercussions worldwide”.
Methane leaches into the atmosphere from leaky pipelines and infrastructure at oil and gas fields.
The law will now be put to the European Parliament and EU countries for final approval. That step is usually a formality that waves through pre-agreed deals.
The regulation also introduces new requirements for the oil, gas and coal sectors to measure, report and verify methane emissions.
The deal obliges oil and gas producers in Europe to regularly check for and fix leaks of the potent greenhouse gas in their operations.
It also bans most cases of flaring and venting, when companies intentionally burn off or release unwanted methane into the atmosphere, from 2025 or 2027 depending on the type of infrastructure.
(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi, Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru and Kate Abnett in Brussels. Editing by Gerry Doyle and Miral Fahmy)
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to climate change. It is released during the production and transport of coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as from livestock and other agricultural practices.
Maximum methane intensity values are regulatory limits set to control the amount of methane emissions produced during the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels. These values aim to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel imports.
Flaring is the practice of burning off excess gas during oil extraction. It is often done to manage gas that cannot be processed or sold, but it releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere.
The European Union plays a significant role in climate regulation by establishing laws and regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting sustainable practices, and addressing climate change on a global scale.
Reducing methane emissions is crucial for mitigating climate change, as methane has a much higher warming potential than carbon dioxide in the short term. Rapid cuts are essential to avoid severe climate impacts.
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