Each year, 200 billion cubic meters of fossil gas are lost due to methane leaks and flaring in the global fossil fuel system. This is comparable to about twice Qatar’s yearly LNG exports. Reducing methane emissions would recover already extracted energy while preventing it from worsening the climate crisis.
At a time of soaring energy prices, addressing methane emissions is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to enhance Europe’s energy security. However, with the start of its implementation, the full potential of this regulation might not be realized.
A significant lobbying effort, posed as an energy security measure, has been launched by fossil fuel companies to weaken the regulation. These companies argue the rules are impractical, using the EU’s deregulation agenda as a platform to challenge the legislation. More recently, they have leveraged the energy price crisis to intensify their opposition.
This pressure is heightened by transatlantic lobbying, involving undisclosed discussions with the European Commission and direct political meddling. U.S. fossil fuel companies, supported by the Trump administration, have persistently urged the EU to alter the regulation to facilitate their LNG exports—at a time when Europe’s reliance on U.S. gas has reached unprecedented levels.
The claims made by these vested interests distort the true impact of methane regulations on the EU’s energy framework, and evidence suggests these claims are baseless.
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