Methane leakages from oil and gas across Europe – and what to do about them

Watch the event recording here.

Presentation by Sascha Boden (DUH) | Presentation by James Turitto (CATF)

Methane is the second biggest contributor to the climate crisis, responsible for about 0.5°C of human-caused global heating so far. One of the main emitters of the powerful greenhouse gas is the oil and gas sector, where methane can leak across the whole supply chain – during extraction, transport, storage and use. The extent to which such leakages occur is only vaguely known, with companies often reporting emissions only on the basis of calculations as opposed to actual measurements. Where measurements are being done, they often show higher emission rates than previously anticipated.

While there are already a handful of comprehensive studies on methane leakages from the U.S., such data is still lacking in most parts of the world. At the same time, there is an assumption that methane emissions from oil and gas infrastructure within Europe are comparably small, and that leakages are mainly an issue for non-EU countries. In order to examine this assumption, The Clean Air Task Force has been undertaking observations of oil and gas infrastructure across Europe since the beginning of 2021, using an infrared camera to detect sources of methane pollution. The results published so far call into question the clean slate of the EU on the matter, showing significant emissions at gas infrastructure sites across several European countries.

This digital event, conducted within the framework of the Methane Pavilion organized by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) in the framework of COP26, will present and discuss the results of the methane campaign led by Clean Air Taskforce published in the course of 2021. Speakers and panellists will discuss the findings as well as possible ways to tackle the methane problem in Europe in order to fulfil the Paris Climate Agreement. A closer look will be taken at the German findings as the main gas hub of Europe. The event will be co-hosted by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union and Deutsche Umwelthilfe/Environmental Action Germany (DUH), and take place online on Wednesday 3 November 2021 from 16:00 to 17:30 CET.  

In the event, we wish to discuss the following questions:

• What are the lessons learnt from the results of the campaign so far?
• How severe is the issue from a scientific perspective?
• What role does industry play in mitigating methane emissions in Europe?
• How can state and EU institutions help to prevent emissions of methane at gas infrastructure in Europe and abroad?
• What kind of legislation can help best to achieve methane emission reductions quickly?

Programme

16:00 CET | Welcome

16:05 CET | Introducing the methane field campaign – overview of European methane emission findings, James Turitto, Oil and Gas Campaign Manager, Clean Air Task Forde (CATF)

16:20 CET | Methane emissions at German gas infrastructure – and what to do about them, Sascha Boden, Project Manager Energy and Climate Protection, Deutsche Umwelthilfe/Environmental Action Germany (DUH)

16:35 CET | Panel discussion with:

• Brendan Devlin, Adviser for Strategy and Foresight, Directorate-General for Energy, European Commission
• Nicola Armaroli, Research Director, National Research Council Italy
• Alessia Virone, Government Affairs Manager, Clean Air Task Forde (CATF)
• Sascha Boden, Project Manager Energy and Climate Protection, Deutsche Umwelthilfe/Environmental Action Germany (DUH)
• James Turitto, Oil and Gas Campaign Manager, Clean Air Task Forde (CATF)

17:30 CET | End

Moderation: Lisa Tostado, Head of Programme - International Climate, Trade and Agricultural Policy, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union

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