In the run-up to the UAE-hosted COP28 conference, European Union (EU) negotiators have successfully reached an agreement aimed at curbing the release of highly polluting methane emissions from the energy sector across the 27-nation bloc. This provisional agreement sets forth restrictions on methane emissions specifically related to Europe’s imports of oil and gas, which will take effect from 2030.
According to experts, methane emissions are identified as one of the primary contributors to climate change, ranking second only to carbon dioxide in terms of impact. Additionally, the gas also causes serious health problems.
Read more: Free passes to Expo City Dubai for public to access COP28 Green Zone activities
Most emissions stem from the energy, agriculture, and waste sectors.
Under the provisional agreement, the fossil gas, oil and coal industry will be forced to “properly measure, monitor, report and verify their methane emissions according to the highest monitoring standards, and take action to reduce them”, said the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm.
Before the new legislation can take effect, formal approval from both the European Parliament and the Council, which represents the member states, is required for the deal.
In anticipation of a significant United Nations meeting on climate change, China and the United States (U.S.) have made a joint commitment to intensify their actions in combating climate change. As part of their pledge, they have agreed to implement measures aimed at reducing not only carbon dioxide emissions but also methane and other greenhouse gases.
Collective commitment
Prior to this, the U.S., the EU, and various other nations had already made a collective commitment to achieve a global reduction of 30 percent in methane emissions by 2030.
As per the Commission’s statement, the compromise entails operators being obligated to report on the quantification and measurement of methane emissions directly at the source level. It also imposes requirements on oil and gas companies to identify and address methane leaks within the EU.
Establishing limitations
Furthermore, the agreement prohibits the routine practice of venting and flaring, which release methane into the atmosphere. Additionally, it establishes limitations on venting from thermal coal mines starting in 2027, with stricter conditions being introduced after 2031.
“It requires companies in the oil, gas and coal sectors to carry out an inventory of closed, inactive, plugged and abandoned assets, such as wells and mines, to monitor their emissions and to adopt a plan to mitigate these emissions as soon as possible,” the Commission added.
Highest standards
The Methane Regulation for the energy sector in the EU is a component of the comprehensive European Green Deal, which aims to set the highest standards for climate and biodiversity targets globally.
Given the substantial imports of oil, gas, and coal by the EU, the agreement stipulates that starting from 2027, new import contracts can only be sealed “if the same monitoring, reporting and verification obligations are applied by exporters as for EU producers”, the Commission said.
Clear signal
Flavia Sollazzo, senior director at Green group, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Europe, said the measures send a clear signal ahead of the upcoming international climate talks in the UAE, COP28, that climate responsibilities don’t end at county borders.
“As the world’s biggest buyer of natural gas, the EU is strategically leveraging its economic influence to drive global reductions in methane emissions.”
For more news on sustainability, click here.
