ClientEarth’s feedback to the European Commission’s Methane Strategy Roadmap

ClientEarth urges the European Commission to implement strict, mandatory regulations on methane emissions across the fossil fuel and agriculture sectors. The organization argues that the EU, as the world's largest importer of fossil gas, has the commercial power to mandate low-emission supply chains. Key recommendations include expanding the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to cover methane, introducing a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for methane-emitting imports, and reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to end subsidies for intensive livestock production. ClientEarth also highlights the health risks of indoor gas appliances and the need to counter industry misinformation by replacing the term 'natural gas' with 'fossil gas'.

• Global anthropogenic methane emissions are significantly higher than reported, with some studies suggesting they are "up to 40% higher", and the fossil fuel industry is identified as the largest contributor.
• To limit global warming to 1.5C, the IPCC indicates that methane emissions must be reduced by 20% by 2030 and at least 35% by 2050.
• The EU's position as the "worlds largest importer of fossil gas" allows it to require that low methane emissions throughout the supply chain be a "prerequisite to gas being sold into the EU internal market".
• Methane leakage in the gas supply chain can negate the climate benefits of gas over coal; if the leakage rate exceeds 3%, the "climate impact of fossil gas is worse than that of coal in power generation".
• ClientEarth recommends expanding the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to cover methane from agriculture, waste management, and the oil, gas, and coal sectors, including a "permanent price floor with an upward trajectory".
• Indoor air quality in homes using fossil gas stoves can be severely degraded; a UCLA Berkeley study found that peak nitrogen dioxide levels exceeded national acute air-quality standards in "more than 90% of homes modelled".
• The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is criticized for supporting intensive livestock production through "voluntary coupled support (VCS)", which ClientEarth argues should be stopped to reduce methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management.

APA

ClientEarth (2020). ClientEarth’s feedback to the European Commission’s Methane Strategy Roadmap. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4vkjnngr/2020-08-06-clientearth-s-feedback-to-the-european-commission-s-methane-strategy-roadmap-ce-en.pdf

Chicago

ClientEarth. ClientEarth’s feedback to the European Commission’s Methane Strategy Roadmap. 2020. https://www.clientearth.org/media/4vkjnngr/2020-08-06-clientearth-s-feedback-to-the-european-commission-s-methane-strategy-roadmap-ce-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=ClientEarth |title=ClientEarth’s feedback to the European Commission’s Methane Strategy Roadmap |date=August 2020 |url=https://www.clientearth.org/media/4vkjnngr/2020-08-06-clientearth-s-feedback-to-the-european-commission-s-methane-strategy-roadmap-ce-en.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{clientearth2020clientearths, author = {{ClientEarth}}, title = {{ClientEarth’s feedback to the European Commission’s Methane Strategy Roadmap}}, publisher = {ClientEarth}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.clientearth.org/media/4vkjnngr/2020-08-06-clientearth-s-feedback-to-the-european-commission-s-methane-strategy-roadmap-ce-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }