Workshop: Strategic plan to reduce

methane emissions in the energy sector

• As part of the clean energy

transition, the Commission will

address the issue of energy-

related methane emissions

• The EU should also reinforce

current initiatives and engage with

third countries on cross-cutting

climate and environment issues.

This may include […] action to

reduce methane emissions

The European Green Deal

2

We need to address CO2, CH4 and BC emissions

In the best scenario, addressing

methane and black carbon

(BC), the global community could

reduce the expected global

warming pathway by 0,5°C by

2050.

Reducing methane emissions is

a quick and cheap contribution to

keep the global temperature

increase below 2°C.

Shindell, D. et al., 2012: Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Food Security.

Science 335, 6065, pp. 183-1893

20161999 2008 2009 20182005 2018 20181996 2020

First methane strategy in 1996

Followed up by several legislative and non-legislative proposals in the area of

waste, landfills, air quality and climate

4

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas

24% 33% 45%

of radiative forcing is

attributable to methane

of anthropogenic

methane emissions are

related to fossil fuels

of those can be mitigated

at no net-cost globally

M. Saunois et al. 2016: The global methane budget 2000–2012, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 8, 697–751

International Energy Agency, 20195

Energy is an attractive sector to reduceemissions

Source: International Energy Agency

Marginal abatement cost curve for oil- and gas-related methane emissions by

mitigation measure, 2018

Changes in the average global emissions

intensity of oil and natural gas operations

6

• Identify knowledge gaps and

potential emmission hotspots

• Recommendations on method

improvement (measurement and

reporting)

• Assessment of existing policies

and voluntary initiatives to

reduce methane emisisons

• Due in August 2020

• Stakeholder event on 10

June 2020

We launched a study

7

• Holistic approach to include oil, gas (whole supply chain) and coal, as well as venting,

flaring and fugitives

• Improve measurement, quantification, reporting and verification in the EU

• Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP) reporting framework as

• Move to tier 3 reporting under UNFCCC

• Foster innovation in methodologies

• Build on Copernicus (and other satellite data) for detection and validation

• Leak detection and repair

• Focus on superemitters, identify hotspots

We are working on a strategic plan

8

Independent institution aimed at improvingcredibility and transparency of emissions

Reporting & Verification

• OGMP companies

• Operated & non-

operated assets

• At facility level

• Mid- and DownstreamMonitoring & Detection

• Satellite + infrastructure data

• Ground and aerial surveys

Reconciliation, Integrity & Validation

• Reports

• UNFCCC inventories

• Scientific studies

• Satellite and survey data

Transparency & Publication

• Aggregated OGMP reports & feedback

• Identification of super emitters9

Explore regulatory avenues

• Translate the OGMP framework into legislation?

• For regulated businesses (transmission & distribution):

• Recognition of costs in regulated asset base?

• TEN-E revision: PCI label for methane reducing investments?

• Industrial Emissions Directive, NEC Directive, others?

• ETS, Effort Sharing Regulation?

• Others?10

• Green Deal: Energy diplomacy – bilateral and multilateral contexts

• Buyers

• Producers

• Multilateral

• Cooperation under the UN Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

• Ambitious and transparent reporting - Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP)

• Global Methane science studies – e.g. North-Sea, Europe mid-and downstream,

• Global Gas Flaring Reduction partnership (GGFR)

We cooperate internationally

11

12

Thank you

© European Union 2020