Regulation 2024/1787 - Reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector - Main contents

Official Journal

of the European Union

EN

L series

2024/1787

15.7.2024

Methane is second only to carbon dioxide (CO2) in its overall contribution to climate change and is responsible for approximately a third of current warming. The amount of methane in the atmosphere globally has risen sharply over the last decade.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), created within the framework of the United Nations (UN), published in its Sixth Assessment Report the finding that deep reductions in anthropogenic methane emissions are needed by 2030 to limit global warming to 1,5 oC. That report shows that, although methane has a shorter average atmospheric residence time than CO2, 10 to 12 years compared to hundreds of years, its greenhouse effect over a 20-year period is over 80 times more significant than that of CO2. In particular, according to the IPCC, while methane has 29,8 times greater global warming potential than CO2 on a 100-year timescale, it is 82,5 times more potent on a 20-year timescale.

It appears from the Air quality in Europe – 2020 report of the European Environment Agency that methane is a precursor gas for ground-level ozone and contributes to air pollution. Tackling methane emissions would address not only environment and climate but also improve protection of human health.

According to recent estimates by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), methane emission reductions of 45 % by 2030, based on available targeted measures and additional measures in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, could avoid 0,3 oC of global warming by 2045.

According to the International Energy Agency online data service World Energy Balances, the Union is the world’s largest importer of fossil energy, and as such, an important driver of global methane emissions.

The European Green Deal combines a comprehensive set of mutually reinforcing measures and initiatives aimed at achieving climate neutrality in the Union at the latest by 2050. In its communication of 11 December 2019 on the European Green Deal, the Commission indicated that the decarbonisation of the gas sector would be facilitated, including by addressing the issue of energy-related methane emissions. In October 2020, the Commission adopted an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions (the ‘Methane Strategy’) setting out measures to cut methane emissions in the Union, including in the energy sector, and at global level. Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) sets out the target for economy-wide climate neutrality at the latest by 2050 and establishes a binding Union domestic reduction target for net greenhouse gas emissions (emissions after deduction of removals) of at least 55 % compared to 1990 levels by 2030. It follows from the impact assessment accompanying the proposal for this Regulation that, under the assumptions of the preferred policy option for the methane legislative proposal combined with the...