The EU strategy to reduce methane emissions delineates a comprehensive set of actions aimed at achieving substantial reductions in methane emissions across the energy, agriculture, and waste management sectors at both EU and international levels. These measures will support the EU’s commitments under the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement towards climate neutrality, while also mitigating air pollution. Effective emission reductions will necessitate determined efforts by EU Member States, non-EU countries, and stakeholders. A priority objective of the strategy is to ensure that companies, particularly energy, chemical and agricultural companies, apply considerably more accurate measurement and reporting methodologies for methane emissions, across all relevant emitting sectors, in accordance with the three-tier reporting framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The transition to Tiers 1, 2 and 3 reporting will be accelerated through the widespread adoption of the measurement and reporting framework developed under the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP). The establishment of an independent international methane emissions observatory will be supported by the Commission. The observatory will be tasked with collecting, reconciling, verifying and publishing anthropogenic methane emissions data at a global level. The observatory would be anchored in a United Nations framework, and build on a number of work streams such as the OGMP and the global methane science studies as part of the CCAC. The scope of the observatory covers methane from the oil and fossil gas sectors, coal, waste and agricultural activities. EU-coordinated capability for detecting and monitoring global super-emitters will be increased through its Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. The the Copernicus CO2-monitoring (CO2M) mission will be launched in 2025 which will support the identification of smaller and more prevalent sources of emissions and monitoring of global atmospheric methane. Relevant EU environmental and climate legislation will be reviewed to more effectively address methane-related emissions, with the overall aim of delivering increased climate ambition. Sustainable biogas production will be promoted to reduce methane emissions, generate additional revenue streams for farmers and local communities, improve local economies and promote circularity. Compulsory measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) will be carried out for all energy-related methane emissions, building on the OGMP methodology. Leak detection and repair (LDAR) of leaks on all fossil gas infrastructure, as well as any other infrastructure that produces, transports or uses fossil gas, including as a feedstock, will be improved. A legislation on eliminating routine venting and flaring in the energy sector covering the full supply chain, up to the point of production, will be developed by the Commission. The OGMP framework will be extended to more companies in the gas and oil upstream, midstream and downstream as well as to the coal sector and closed as well as abandoned sites. Remedial work will be promoted under the initiative for Coal Regions in Transition. Best-practice recommendations and/or enabling legislation will be brought forward if necessary. An expert group will be established by the Commission to analyse life-cycle methane emissions metrics. This group will be responsible for livestock, manure and feed management, feed characteristics, new technologies and practices and other issues. It will also work in setting up a life cycle methodology on the overall emissions for livestocks. An inventory of best practices and available technologies will be developed to explore and promote the wider uptake of innovative mitigating actions, with a special focus on methane from enteric fermentation. Carbon-balance calculations will be encouraged at farm level, and the Commission will by 2022 provide a digital carbon navigator template and guidelines on common pathways for the quantitative calculation of greenhouse gas emissions and removals. The uptake of mitigation technologies will be promoted through the wider deployment of ‘carbon farming’ in Member States and their Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans, as from 2021. Research will be conducted targeting on the different factors that effectively lead to methane emission reductions, focusing on technology and nature based solutions as well as on the factors leading to dietary shift. In order to tackle methane emissions in the waste and wastewater sector, the Commission will continue to tackle unlawful practices and provide technical assistance to Member States and regions. Support will be provided to Member States and regions to stabilise biodegradable waste prior to disposal and its increasing use for the production of climate-neutral, circular bio-based materials and chemicals, and divert this waste to biogas production. Further actions will be considered to improve the management of landfill gas, minimise its harmful climate effects, and harness any of its potential energy gains. Research will be conducted on waste to biomethane technologies.
2020-10-14