EU backing down from real action on coal mine methane

The report highlights that coal mines are the largest source of energy-sector methane emissions in the EU, primarily driven by Poland. While the original EU Commission proposal aimed for a 70% reduction in cumulative methane emissions from active thermal coal mines by 2040, current agreements have already lowered this to 34%. Ember warns that Poland's latest lobbying efforts could further reduce these cuts to just 12% by 2040, representing a sixfold weakening of the original ambition. The document emphasizes that methane abatement in Poland's coal sector is a 'low-hanging fruit' that could reduce the EU's fossil fuel methane emissions by 15% at a cost of less than one euro per kilogram of methane.

• Coal mines are the primary source of methane emissions within the EU's energy sector, emitting more than the oil and gas sectors combined. In 2021, coal mines reportedly emitted 908 thousand tonnes of methane, compared to 634 kt from oil and gas.
• Official EU coal mine methane emissions are likely underestimated. The IEA calculates that these emissions are 24% higher than officially reported, representing an additional 158 thousand tonnes of methane in 2021.
• Poland is the dominant contributor to the EU's coal mine methane emissions, reporting 562 thousand tonnes in 2021, which is 62% of the EU's reported total. Satellite data has identified multiple major emission events from Polish mines, with plumes emitting between 10 to 41 tonnes of methane per hour.
• Methane abatement in Poland's coal sector is highly cost-effective. The IEA estimates Poland could abate up to 414 thousand tonnes of methane per year, which would reduce EU fossil fuel methane emissions by 15% at a cost of less than one euro per kilogram of methane.
• The ambition of the EU Methane Regulation has been significantly reduced. The original proposal sought a 70% reduction in cumulative methane emissions from active thermal coal mines by 2040, but the text currently agreed upon by the EU Parliament and Council has lowered this to 34%.
• Recent lobbying by Poland threatens to further weaken the regulation. Ember's analysis indicates that Poland's most recent position would result in cumulative emissions from its active thermal mines being reduced by only 12% by 2040 compared to business as usual, a sixfold weakening of the original target.
• The proposed weakening of the regulation would make the EU unaligned with the IEA's Net Zero roadmap, which requires a 75% cut in energy sector methane by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

APA

Ember (2023). EU backing down from real action on coal mine methane. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/eu-backing-down-from-real-action-on-coal-mine-methane

Chicago

Ember. EU backing down from real action on coal mine methane. 2023. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/eu-backing-down-from-real-action-on-coal-mine-methane.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Ember |title=EU backing down from real action on coal mine methane |date=19 October 2023 |url=https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/eu-backing-down-from-real-action-on-coal-mine-methane |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ember2023backing, author = {{Ember}}, title = {{EU backing down from real action on coal mine methane}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/eu-backing-down-from-real-action-on-coal-mine-methane}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }