EU brings law to hit fossil fuel imports with methane emissions limit
The law 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
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.
After carbon dioxide Methane is the second largest cause of climate change and in the short term has a far higher warming effect. If the world is to avoid severe climate change rapid cuts in methane emissions this decade are crucial. 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. 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.
(Reuters)
