Methane emissions down 36% in 2020 yet EU climate goals still at risk, EEA says

Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Methane emissions have registered a downward trend over the past years, yet this plunge is not enough for the European Union (EU) to achieve its climate 2030 and 2050 goals, a recent briefing from the European Environment Agency (EEA) reveals.

According to the latest available official data, emissions of methane (CH4) are down by 36% in the EU in 2020 compared with 1990 levels, furthering a 30-year downward trend. The largest reductions in emissions were registered in energy supply, which includes energy industries and fugitive—leaked or uncaptured emissions (-65%) —, waste (-37%) and agriculture (-21%).

Man-made

The reduction in methane emissions is the reflection of a decrease in agricultural livestock numbers and increased efficiency in the agricultural sector, lower levels of coal mining and post-mining activities, improved oil and gas pipeline networks, less waste disposal on land, and finally, an increase in recycling, composting, landfill gas recovery, and waste incineration with energy recovery.

The observed emission reductions have contributed not only to climate change mitigation but also to better air quality, because of synergies in the reduction of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. 

However, increased global efforts to reduce methane emissions remain needed in order to mitigate global warming in the short term, the EEA added. 

Work ahead

Despite the progress, EEA has noted that methane concentrations are increasing rapidly and reductions need to be stepped up across all sectors. Methane is substantially stronger at trapping heat than carbon dioxide (CO2) and also has an average shorter lifetime than CO2.

Reducing CH4 emissions globally is a low-hanging fruit for the current generation, using existing practices and technologies. Moreover, policies aimed at CH4 emission reductions are expected to deliver faster benefits from the climate mitigation perspective in the short term. 

The EEA briefing further notes the EU has put in place overarching and sector-specific policies to reduce GHG emissions, including methane emissions representing 12% of total EU emissions in 2020 — half of which are from agriculture.

As countries implement EU and national legislation, GHG emissions are set to decrease further. However, to help achieve the EU’s 2030 and 2050 climate objectives, the EU needs to reduce emissions more rapidly, including via policies and measures aimed at reducing methane emissions, the EEA advised.