The European Parliament “urged” the Commission on Tuesday to propose a binding methane emissions reduction target – including petrochemicals – by the end of 2025 for all relevant sectors.
Whilst there is already an EU strategy in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – and very specific legislation to reduce CO2 emissions – there is still no EU legislation to reduce methane emissions specifically.
However, the warming effect of this gas over 20 years is 80 times more powerful than that of carbon dioxide, stressed Environment Committee chair Pascal Canfin (Renew). Methane is thus responsible for about a third of current global warming, according to MEPs.
The proposal set out by the Commission at the end of 2021 only concerns direct emissions from the energy sector (oil, fossil gas and biomethane once injected into the gas grid). With 499 votes in favour, 73 against and 55 abstentions, MEPs adopted their negotiating position with the Council (Member States) for this proposal on Tuesday, but they also want the new legislation to include petrochemicals.
