Activities of Jutta PAULUS related to 2021/2006(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
An EU strategy to reduce methane emissions (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on an EU strategy to reduce methane emissions
Amendments (67)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to Articles 192 and 194 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
— having regard to the 2018 International Energy Agency report, entitled ‘The Future of the Petrochemical: Towards a more sustainable chemicals industry',
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU strategy to reduce methane emissions; supports a clear pathway and framework to address methane emissions in a more comprehensive fashnotes that methane is the second biggest contributor to the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions; recalls that the IPCC 1.5°C Special Report (SR) concluded that ‘[t]hough CO2 dominates long-term warming, the reduction of warming short-lived climate forcers (SLCFs), such as methane and black carbon, can in the short term contribute significantly to limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels'; highlights the importance of immediate and rapid reductions in methane emissions this decade as one of the most effective measures for EU climate action; notes that methane emission reductions complement the necessary reductions in carbon dioxide emissions across Europe, by fostering synergies between sectors to strengthen the business case for capturing methane emissions; nd that 15% of the required emissions cuts by the Paris Agreement could already be eliminated with low-cost and technically feasible methane mitigation; highlights that methane reduction brings enormous benefits not only in reduced climate impacts but also from improved air quality; supports a clear legislative framework to address methane emissions in a more comprehensive fashion across all sectors, including agriculture, waste, energy and the petrochemical sector, by establishing binding Union and national methane emissions reduction targets;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) No. XX/XXX establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality and amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 (European Climate Law),
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 b (new)
Citation 3 b (new)
— having regard to the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) report of 6 May 2021 entitled 'Global Methane Assessment: Benefits and Costs of Mitigating Methane Emissions';
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Points out that modelled pathways that limit global warming to1.5°C with no or limited overshoot from both the IPCC 1.5°C SR and the 2021 UNEP Methane Global Assessment involve deep reductions in emissions of methane up to 45% by 2030 relative to 2020; reminds that, according to UNEP, reducing human-caused methane emissions by as much as 45 % will avoid nearly 0.3°C of global warming by the 2040s and complement all long-term climate change mitigation efforts; emphasises that cutting methane emissions by 45% by 2030 would mean for the EU-27 that each year would see: a) ~23,000avoided premature deaths from ozone, b) 1.4 million tons of avoided crop losses worth ~€240 million (based on 2018 global market prices) and c) avoided lost work hours from heat annually in 2030 is 270 million hours, equivalent to 135,000 full-time jobs per year;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 c (new)
Citation 3 c (new)
— having regard to the International Energy Agency report of 18 May 2021 entitled 'Net Zero by 2050 - A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector',
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Notes that almost 20 percent of EU methane emissions derive from the energy sector, including oil and gas extraction, production, processing, transport, storage, transmission and distribution; further notes that EU's fossil gas imports drive methane emissions in upstream sectors outside the EU; believes that the most effective pathway to reduce these emissions is through the rapid reduction of EU fossil gas consumption and, therefore, imports; acknowledges that fossil gas, almost entirely consisting of methane, has no long-term role in the Union’s energy future; highlights the need to phase out as soon as possible but not later than 2030 the use of coal and not later than 2035 the use of fossil gas in order to meet the climate objectives set out in the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Recalls the 2016 declaration by the Commission on the Review of Methane Emissions as part of the adoption of Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (NEC)1a; deplores that since then the Commission has not lived up to their declaration by coming back to the EU legislators with measures for effectively reducing methane emissions in order to achieve the objectives set out in Article 1 paragraph 2 of the NEC Directive, including enhanced synergies between the Union's air quality policy and other relevant Union policies, in particular climate and energy policies; in that context, deeply regrets, the time wasted by the Commission to establish a binding MRV-LDAR system and the delay of action against methane emissions on the pretext of missing data; _________________ 1aDirective (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC, OJ L 344, 17.12.2016, p. 1– 31.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1 d. Acknowledges the conclusion of the International Energy Agency’s “Net Zero by 2050” report that a 75 percent reduction in methane emissions from fossil fuel supply over the next ten years is required to keep global temperature rise to 1.5°C;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1 e. Calls on the Commission to set a clear date, which is by all means not later than 2035 for the mandatory phase-out of fossil gas in its coming 2021 legislation, requiring Member States to adopt sectoral strategies for the planned phase out of fossil gas as part of their national energy and climate plans;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the European Climate Law commits the EU to reaching a balance between all anthropogenic GHG emissions by sources and removals by sinks (‘climate neutrality’) by 2050 at the latest with increased emission reductions by 2030; whereas addressing energy-related methane emissions is a key component of the European Green Deurgently reducing methane emissions in the energy, agricultural, was are measures in the agriculture and waste sectorte, water, and petrochemical sectors is a necessary condition for achieving the EU’s climate targets; whereas the EU strategy to reduce methane emissions notes that the EU should also play a role in ensuring methane emission reductions at global level, as the largest global importer of fossil fuels and a significant player in the agriculture sector;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the major role of natural gas in meeting today’s global energy demand and stresses that the part it playsrisk of methane leaks all across the complex supply chains of fossil gas, coal and oil; recalls that, according to isotope measurements global anthropogenic fossil methane emissions are currently underestimated by 25%- 40%; calls for a stop to EU support for expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, including in the enRecovergy transition will be influenced by the extent to which methane emissions are further reducedand Resilience Fund; underscores that, according to the IEA last report on “Net Zero by 2050”, ‘[t]here is no need for investment in new fossil fuel supply in [the IEA] net zero pathway’; insists that the move away from fossil fuels, including in the EU must be undertaken with urgency and without exception;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that methane monitoring and mitigation measures should accompany the phase-out of fossil fuels to reduce the climate impact but should not be utilised to justify prolonged use in the energy sector; notes that even though it can be improved, the EU already has sufficient data to start acting immediately on taking measures to reduce methane emissions;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Notes with interest that the Commission itself in its October 2020 "Communication on an EU Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions" emphasized the negative impact of routine venting and flaring; stresses that a ban on venting and flaring can prevent air pollution, contribute to decelerate global warming, and can prevent companies from wasting resources; observes that Norway has introduced a ban on venting and flaring;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the preparation of EU legislation for the energy sector with bindingon methane emissions; insists that this 2021 legislative proposal should cover all methane emitting sectors and include -amongst other provisions- a mandatory 2030 overall methane emissions target as well as binding obligations rules on monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) and, leak detection and repair, and the consideration of rules on routine venting and flaring (LDAR) and an immediate ban on routine venting and flaring; in this context, requests on the Commission to extend these obligations on MRV, LDAR and routine venting and flaring to all actors of the oil and gas value chain to cover all oil and gas consumed in the EU, including actors from outside of the EU; calls for these obligations to be implemented as soon as possible but not later than1 January 2023;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas cutting methane emissions can have a quickhas an important short-term impact on slowing the rate of global warming than reducing CO2 emissions, since methane does not stay in the atmosphere for as long, and it could, since methane is a short-lived climate forcer with an atmospheric lifetime of about 12 years before being ultimately degraded to CO2 in the atmosphere, and whereas cutting methane emissions is therefore be one of the most cost-effective strategies to rapidly reduce the rate of warming and avoid some tipping points for global warming;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. On MRV, calls for granular data with independent third-party verification; highlights that self-reported emission estimations are neither accurate, nor transparent, or verifiable; stresses that third-party verifiers need detailed methane emissions information at the facility level and that aggregate emissions at the country or asset level is insufficient; calls on the Commission to combine an independent third-party verification framework with other monitoring methods to ensure an accurate verification of emissions data across the whole fossil gas, coal and oil supply chain; stresses that the independent third- party verifiers should check the reported emissions, other emissions estimates, and the methodologies used; insists that the reported data must be made public, where in cases of business-sensitive information, this transparency could be limited to competent authorities;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. On LDAR, calls for mandatory monthly survey using instrument based detection technology such as Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) camera, continuous emissions monitoring, or other advanced technologies and for a mandatory deadline for the repair of identified leaks within five days unless, in the instance it is proven that specific equipment requires a facility shutdown and alternative mitigation measures have been adopted, one year; stresses that repaired equipment must be resurveyed within two weeks at the latest;
Amendment 81 #
3 c. Asks for an immediate ban on venting and flaring, also covering equipment designed to vent, to be applied across the full supply chain of gas, oil, coal and liquefied gas; insists that this ban must also apply to imports and that the Commission should therefore develop a strong independent methodology to assess the compliance of imports with the EU requirements and include in its coming methane legislation measures to block the placement on the EU market of oil and fossil gas from companies not complying with EU requirements, in particular on the ban of flaring and venting;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Stresses that over 80% of the gas and 90% of the oil consumed in Europe is imported and most methane emissions due to EU fossil fuels consumption are therefore happening outside the EU; calls on the Commission to make all fossil fuel imports into the EU conditional on the basis of their compliance with EU regulations on MRV, LDAR, and the ban on venting and flaring on the whole fossil fuels supply chain up to and including production; insists on establishing and implementing as soon as possible a certification system based on a mandatory performance standard that caps methane emissions along the entire supply chain for both domestic and imported fossil fuels sold, manufactured and consumed in the EU, with the ultimate goal of banning the consumption of oil, coal and fossil gas from companies not adhering to high performance standards; urges in particular the Commission and the Member States to immediately ban the placement of fracked oil and gas on the EU market considering the elevated health, environmental and climate risk due to high methane emissions and other pollutants inherently linked to the technique of hydraulic fracturing;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Notes that methane adds significantly to the climate impact of coal; recalls that -according to the International Energy Agency (IEA)-, coal mine methane contributes as much to climate change as shipping and aviation combined with Poland’s coal mines leaking more methane per ton of coal mined than most coal countries, third only to Kazakhstan and Russia (IEA, 2019); stresses that monitoring and mitigation measures for methane should accompany the 2030 phase-out of coal to reduce its climate impact; requests the Commission and the Member States to immediately ban routine venting and flaring at demethanisation stations, while applying the polluter-pays principle; recognizes that particularly Ventilation Air Methane capture, due to low and variable concentration, may be more challenging but understands technology to capture such emissions already exists; calls on the Commission and the relevant Member States to oblige operating coal mines and/or member states to present a clear schedule for methane abatement;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Paragraph 3 f (new)
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 g (new)
Paragraph 3 g (new)
3 g. Notes that fossil gas and oil are used in the energy and petrochemical sectors and thus both sectors contribute to the methane emitted at fossil gas and oil well pads and processing plants; notes that, according to the International Energy Agency, petrochemicals account for 8% and 14% of total primary demand for fossil gas and oil, respectively, and will soon become the world’s biggest driver of oil demand – ahead of trucks, aviation and shipping1b; calls on the Commission to ensure that compulsory MRV, LDAR obligations, and measures on eliminating routine venting and flaring apply equally to fossil gas and oil used in the petrochemical sector; asks to ban methane-intensive Natural Gas Liquids/naphtha (e.g. ethane, propane), petrochemicals (e.g. ethylene, propylene) and plastic resins (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene), such as from production sites and facilities where routine venting or flaring occur and no LDAR program is in place, which would also be in line with the objectives in the Plastics Strategy and the new Circular Economy Action Plan to create a circular economy for plastics; _________________ 1bInternational Energy Agency (2018). The Future of Petrochemicals: Towards More Sustainable Plastics and Fertilizers. Pages 11 and 27.
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the cross-sectoral approach outlined in the EU strategy to reduce methane emissions and fully supports a fair frameworkcalls on the Commission to pursue such an approach when proposing legislation; calls on the Commission to propose a legislative framework that establishes binding Union and national methane emissions reduction targets covering the agriculture, waste and, energy, water, and petrochemical sectors;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that research, development and innovation and the implementation of fit-for-purpose technologies and practices to improve MRV and mitigate methane emissions are at the backbone of effective actionthe rapid implementation of effective action to mitigate methane emissions in all sectors should be the backbone of the future framework legislation on methane; supports the mobilisation of funding from Horizon Europe, including for establishing an international methane emissions observatory, while calling for the full respect of the polluter-pays principle;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Highlights the importance of immediate and rapid reductions in methane emissions this decade as one of the most effective measures for EU climate action; notes that methane emission reductions complement the necessary reductions in carbon dioxide emissions and that 15% of the emissions cuts required by the Paris Agreement could already be eliminated with low-cost and technically feasible methane mitigation;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Points out that modelled pathways that limit global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot from both the IPCC 1.5°C SR and the 2021 UNEP Methane Global Assessment involve deep reductions in emissions of methane up to 45% by 2030 relative to 2020; reminds that, according to UNEP, reducing human-caused methane emissions by as much as 45 % will avoid nearly 0.3°C of global warming by the 2040s and complement all long-term climate change mitigation efforts; emphasises that cutting methane emissions by 45% by 2030 would mean that the EU-27 would each year see: a) ~23,000 avoided premature deaths from ozone, b) 1.4 million tons of avoided crop losses worth ~€240 million (based on 2018 global market prices) and c) 270 million avoided lost work hours from heat, equivalent to 135,000 full-time jobs per year;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Agrees that improved top-down data from satellites in the framework of the Copernicus programme, as well as aerial monitoring, will assistbe key in targeting leak detectionand providing independent leak detection as a base for repair measures and in verifying and addressing methane emissions from imported fossil fuels; strongly supports the sharing of information and technologies among stakeholders internationally and with the public in order to catalyse abatement efforts;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the importance of improvRecalls the 2016 declaration by the Commission on the Review of Methane Emissions as part of the adoption of Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (NEC)1b; deplores that since then the Commission has not lived up to their declaration, failing to come back to the EU legislators with measures for effectively reducing methane emissions in order to achieve the objectives set out in Article 1, paragraph 2 of the NEC Directive, including enhanced synergies between the Union's air quality policy and other relevant Union policies, in particular climate and energy policies; regrets the absence of any methane reduction emission objective in the Zero Pollution Action Plan; deeply regrets the time wasted by the Commission to establish a binding measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) as well asnd leak detection and repair (LDAR) standards; ystem and the delay of action against methane emissions on the pretext of missing data; _________________ 1bDirective (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC, OJ L 344, 17.12.2016, p. 1– 31.
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for a thorough assessment of the cost efficiency of the actions proposed in the energy sector, which should consider local conditions and the specific aspects of the various parts of the value chain and provide flexibility to the industry for their implementany consideration of cost efficiency to take into account the full costs of climate externalities in case of inaction;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underscores the need to revise EU climate and environmental legislation in a coherent manner; takes the view that the binding emissions reduction targets for Member States in the Effort Sharing Regulation5 should remain the main legislative tool to reduce methane emissions, while the Industrial Emissions Directive6in light of the urgency to mitigate methane emissions, calls on the Commission to propose and other legislation could serve as a complementary tool; _________________ 5Regulation (EU) 2018/842 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meetverarching legislative framework setting 2030 binding European and national methane reduction targets of at least 45% compared to today’s emissions covering all the relevant emitting sectors, commitplements under the Paris Agreement and amending Regulation (EU) No 525/2013. OJ L 156, 19.6.2018, p. 26. 6 Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on ied with an extended NEC Directive, the inclusion of methane in the Industrial eEmissions (integrated pollution prevention and control). OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17.Directive, and new energy and petrochemical specific legislation and revised water and waste legislation;
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to consider a target on renewable and decarbonised gReiterates its support for the development of a circular economy; calls on the Commission and the Member States to fully consider circularity first, which means less waste, reducing the consumption of resources and energy, and implementing long-term waste prevention solutions, when promoting the development of biogas and biomethane; considers that the utilisation of organic municipal waste, sewage sludge or agricultural wastes for 2030, as this would facilitate the development of biomethane and ensand residues can be a driver of the circular economy if stringent sustainability criteria are applied, so that only genuine waste and residues, for which no more sustainable alternative use exists, are considered as potential sources of feed for the biogas plants; calls for the development of on-farm, small biogas plants, fed with agricultural waste only; highlights further that the source the deployment of the most cost-efficient solutions across the Member States. separation and separate collection of bio- waste, effective by 31 December 2023, must go together with a feasible biological treatment (composting or anaerobic digestion) option; in that regard, acknowledges the potential of anaerobic digestion from bio-degradable waste which allows the production of biomethane; recalls that the final step after anaerobic digestion should be composting as a way to prevent fugitive emissions of methane and create a quality soil amendment;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underscores that the no-regret measures to minimise emissions from the agriculture, waste and energy sectors are: a dramatic reduction of meat and dairy production, the end of industrial animal farming and over-fertilisation, the reduction of waste, the phase-out of fossil fuel use, and a circular economy with massively reduced virgin plastic production;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement to apply the MRV framework also to the coal sector and closed as well as abandoned sites; urges the Commission to prepare a legislative requirement to cap and fill unused oil and gas wells and to mitigate the methane emissions from coal mines by 2025 at the latest; reminds that methane super- emitting sites in the EU are abandoned coal mines ,calls therefore for an extensive search for the responsible owners and a funding mechanism to cap and/or fill sites with no assignable ownership; suggests that resources from the Just Transition Fund could be used as these sites usually lie in coal regions and technological clean-up provides local employment.
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the importance of developing an inventory of best practices and available technologies to promote the wider uptake of scientifically peer- reviewed innovative mitigating actions;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the upcoming methane regulatory measures should strive to achieve emissions reductions as cost- effectively as possible and provide flexibility for companies to achieve performance standards in an opDraws attention to the fact that the 2021 UNEP Methane Global Assessment states that 60% of targeted measures in the energy, waste and agriculture sectors are low cost and 50% have negative costs, meaning that companies can make money from taking action; stresses therefore the potentimal, technologically neutral manner, and at the lowest possible cost for the EU to adopt ambitious regulatory measures to reduce methane emissions in a cost-effective way;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recognises the importance ofNotes that voluntary industry initiatives aimed at reducing methane emissions andexist, but considers that anythese initiatives are not enough to achieve the swift and ambitious methane mitigation levels needed to meet the 1.5°C scenario; calls on the Commission to rather propose regulatory initiatives should, which might build upon best practices from existing voluntary actions and must be duly preceded by thorough impact assessments; believes that thorough impact assessments preceding such regulatory measures must take into account the economic, social and environmental costs of both action and non-action;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to analyse the implications for policies and measures of using a 20-year time horizon for global warming potentials, as a complement to the 100-year timeframe currently used in accordance with the current UNFCCC greenhouse gas inventories guidelines; notes that more transparency about the short-term global warming implication of methane emissions would help better inform EU climate policies; stresses that the use of such complementary metric should by no means be used to delay necessary action to also drastically and rapidly reduce CO2 emissions;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Energy and Petrochemicals
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the upCommission comming legislative proposal ontment to come forward with a legislative proposal on compulsory MRV and LDAR; believes that such legislative proposal should not be limited to compulsory MRV and LDAR for all energy-related methane emissions as anticipated by the Commission, but should apply to all methane emitting sectors and contain binding targets as well as other regulatory measures in order to rapidly reduce all methane emissions;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission to set a clear date, which is by all means not later than 2035 for the mandatory phase-out of oil and fossil gas in its coming 2021 legislation, requiring Member States to adopt sectoral strategies, with clear and concrete measures, to phase out of fossil gas as part of their National Energy and Climate Plans; urges the Commission to support Member States to this end;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls for a stop to EU support for expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure; recalls that according to the IEA last report on “Net Zero by 2050”, ‘[t]here is no need for investment in new fossil fuel supply in [the IEA] net zero pathway, and that the Commission has come to the same conclusion in its proposal for revision of the Regulation on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Stresses that methane monitoring and mitigation measures should accompany the phase-out of fossil fuels to reduce the climate impact but should not be utilised to justify prolonged use in the energy sector; notes that, even though it can be improved, the EU already has sufficient data to start acting immediately on taking measures to reduce methane emissions;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WelcomesLooks forward to the Commission’s proposal to considered legislation oto ban venting and flaring in the energy sector covering, if feasible, the full supply chain; considers that existing national legislation addressing routine venting and flaring, taking into account complex safety and environmental aspects, must be taken into consideration when developing EU legislation;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Acknowledges that imports comprisCalls on the Commission to extend requirements on MRV, LDAR and routine over four fifths of the oil and gas consumed in the EU and that most methane emissions associated with oil and gas occur outside EU borders; calls on the Commissnting and flaring to all actors of the oil and gas value chain to cover all oil and gas consumed in the EU, including actors from outside of the EU; calls for these obligations to explore regulatory tools for fossil energy imports, including extending forthcoming obligations on MRV, LDAR, venting and flaring to importsbe implemented as soon as possible but no later than 1 January 2023;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission to support the establishment of an independent international methane emissions observatory, in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition and the International Energy Agency, tasked with collecting, reconciling, verifying and publishing anthropogenic methane emissions data at a global level; believes that such an observatory should look at methane emissions across all sectors, not only energy, with a view in particular to identifying global super-emitters in all sectors;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the Commission’s initiatives on the utilisation and mitigation of methane from coal mintention to address methane emissions from coal mines, including closed and abandoned sites; stresses that coal has no future in the EU energy mix and should be fully phased out by 2030 at the latest; expresses its strong support for mandatory MRV and LDAR for coal mine methane emissions, including the requirement for companies that own closed sites or Member States (for abandoned mines where no existing owner is liable) to adopt the same MRV and LDAR measueffectively close and seal all closed and abandoned sites in the EU by 2025 at the latest; appeals to the Commission to require Member States to address as for operating sitthe ownership of abandoned sites to support coal mine methane mitigation measures;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses that production and transport of LNG are not only extremely inefficient taking into account the energy losses through liquefaction and cooling, but also add over-proportionally to methane emissions from the oil and gas sector; notes with concern the uptake of LNG as transport fuel in the shipping sector;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Notes that fossil gas and oil are used in the energy and petrochemical sectors and thus both sectors contribute to the methane emitted at fossil gas and oil well pads and processing plants; notes that, according to the International Energy Agency, petrochemicals account for 8% and 14% of total primary demand for fossil gas and oil, respectively, and will soon become the world’s biggest driver of oil demand – ahead of trucks, aviation and shipping; calls on the Commission to ensure that MRV and LDAR obligations, and routine venting and flaring bans apply equally to fossil gas and oil used in the petrochemical sector; asks to ban methane-intensive C2-C5 feedstock for petrochemicals (e.g. ethylene, propylene) and plastic resins (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene), such as from production sites and facilities where routine venting or flaring occur and no LDAR program is in place, which would also be in line with the objectives in the Plastics Strategy and the new Circular Economy Action Plan to create a circular economy for plastics;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that technologies and practices to limit methane emissions from agriculture alre developing ady exist; recalls, however, that, a fast pace; calls on the Commission to ensure that proven effective and cost-efficient innovats underlined in an IIASA study on methane1c, technical solutions only have limited impact on the reduction of methane emissions from the agriculture sector and must be complemented with a shift in livestock farming practices; _________________ 1cAccording to the Commission’s are quickly implemented in the EU and integrated into EU agriculture policies;consultant IIASA, the maximum technical potential –at any cost –could reduce EU methane emissions by only 62% from 2005 to 2050, compared to a 42% reduction in the baseline - REFERENCE NEEDED http://pure.iiasa.ac.at/id/eprint/16324/1/H %25C3%25B6glund- Isaksson_2020_Environ._Res._Commun. _2_025004.pdf
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Regrets the failure of the past efforts to decrease methane emissions in the agriculture sector; recalls that, while the number of farms in the EU decreased by about one quarter between 2005 and 2016, from 2010 to 2018 methane emissions in the agricultural increased with 0.62%, showing a trend towards industrial farming and its correlation with increased methane emissions; points out that large farms with more than 50 livestock units account for about 70% of agricultural methane emissions in the EU, and is of the opinion that EU legislation to reduce methane emissions from agriculture should focus on these large farms; recalls that the existing monitoring system based on Tier 2 methodology allows to take action, as this methodology is already used for reporting and monitoring under environmental legislation, including the NEC Directive;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Deeply regrets the lack of ambitious action in the Methane Strategy to support lifestyle and diet changes, which “can contribute significantly to reducing methane emissions”, considering also that, due to population growth, food consumption is set to increase to unsustainable levels if no measures are taken; calls on the Commission to release sustainable and healthy diet guidelines to promote reduction of meat and dairy consumption and increase in plant-based diets, and to set EU meat and dairy consumption reduction targets; calls for the promotion of the reduction in the number of agricultural livestock, alongside with support for small farmers to prevent further intensification;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Underlines that livestock farming and slurry and manure management are responsible for great amounts of both methane and ammonia emissions; calls on the Commission to propose regulatory measures that reduce methane and ammonia at the same time, such as requirements for coverage of slurry storages, frequent removal of manure from the stable, small-scale extraction of biogas from slurries, and acidification of the slurry; calls on the Commission to propose the extension of the Industrial Emissions Directive and the NEC Directive to cover methane and better cover emissions from the agriculture sector, including cattle farming and aquaculture;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Highlights that nitrogen-based fertiliser production is responsible for great amount of methane emissions; looks forward to Commission action to reduce the use of such fertilisers in the framework of the Farm to Fork strategy;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines the key role that the EU should play in supportingexistence of EU funding for research, innovation and development, as well as in scaling up new technologies and practices to help address methane emissions from livestock agriculture, while protecting animal health and; stresses that such funding should be limited to projects that guarantee the protection of animal health and welfare and do not incentivise large- scale industrial farming; recalls that methane mitigation measures must be developed for grazing animals as methane mitigation should not come at the expense of animal welfare; points especially to the need for multigenerational studies on feed additives;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Considers that the utilisation of agricultural waste and residues can be a driver of the circular economy if stringent sustainability criteria are applied 1d, so that agricultural waste is first reduced to the strict minimum, and unavoidable waste and residues are recovered in priority for higher value uses following the cascading use principle; considers therefore that only genuine waste and residues, for which no higher value and more sustainable alternative uses exist, are considered as potential sources of feed for small on-farm biogas plants; stresses that support to biogas should clearly exclude dedicated energy crops, including secondary and cover crops, and should in no way lead to perverse incentives to more intensive livestock farming; calls on the Commission to develop a robust, independent certification of origin scheme for biogas production methods and feedstocks; _________________ 1dFor reference (only in German): 'Methodenkonvention 3.1 zur Ermittlung von Umweltkosten - Kostensätze', Umweltbundesamt, December 2020: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/def ault/files/medien/1410/publikationen/2020 -12- 21_methodenkonvention_3_1_kostensaetz e.pdf
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission to further analyse methane emissions from sludge and waste water and to revise the Sewage Sludge Directive7 and the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive8 in 2022; calls on the Commission furthermore to be ambitious and to integrate a strong focus on methane emissions in the 2024 review of the Landfill Directive9 ; highlights the need for measures to require landfill sites to use the bio-methane they produce until its energy content drops below a useful value to add air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions to the current focus on water and soil pollution; _________________ 7 Council Directive 86/278/EEC of 12 June 1986 on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. OJ L 181, 4.7.1986, p. 6. 8 Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste-water treatment. OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40. 9Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste. OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1.
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)
Subheading 4 a (new)
Highlights the importance of prioritising waste prevention, and reiterates its call contained in its Resolution 2020/2077 on the new Circular Economy Action Plan for binding targets for waste reduction and targets to cap the generation of residual waste in the review of the Waste Directive and Landfill Directive foreseen for 2024;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 b (new)
Subheading 4 b (new)
Points out that, according to the UNEP 2021 Methane Global Assessment, the reduction of food waste and loss, combined with shift to renewable energy and more energy efficiency, can reduce global methane emissions by 15% by 2030, bringing also co-benefits such as decreased pressure on ruminant and crops production;
Amendment 359 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Member States to fully comply with the existing requirements of the Landfill Directive, including; highlights with concern that in 2017, 15 Member States were not fully meeting the obligation laid down in the directive to treat waste before landfilling, and that a number of facilities are still not in line with the requirements of the directive; recalls the objective for 2035, by which date the amount of biodegradable municipal waste going to landfilleds is to be reduced to 10 35% or less of the total amount of biodegradable municipal waste generated, by weight; is concerned by the great disparities in landfilling percentages across the EU, with 10 Member States having landfilled over 50 % , and 5 having landfilled above 70 % of municipal waste in 2015; calls on the Commission to develop a comprehensive strategy to ensure that Member States that are not in compliance with the Landfill Directive and/or that are likely to miss thate 35% target take corrective measures and actions;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission furthermore to be ambitious and to integrate a strong focus on methane emissions in the 2024 review of the Landfill Directive; reiterates the calls contained in its Resolution 2020/2077 on the new Circular Economy Action Plan to focus the revised directive on prevention, and to improve the 10% landfill target, defining a landfill cap in kg/person/year, so that combined effect of reduction, reuse, recycling and composting delivers the best environmental result, while minimising landfilling of residuals; highlights the need for measures to require landfill sites to use the bio- methane they produce until its energy content drops below a useful value;
Amendment 370 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises that closure and after- care procedures for landfill cells are key to reducing leakages, taking into account the entire life cycle of landfill sites; calls on the Commission to provide specific incentivessupport suited to the conditions of each Member State in order to ensure, to the greatest extent possible,he achievement of the 31 December 2023 target for source separation and separate collection of bio-waste, including by encouraging cooperation between the public and private sectors to secure a high degree of separate collection, recycling and recovery of biodegradable waste, leading to efficient diversion from landfill; highlights that there must always be a feasible biological treatment (composting or anaerobic digestion) option; in that regard, acknowledges the potential of anaerobic digestion from bio-degradable waste which allows the production of biomethane; recalls that the final step after anaerobic digestion should be composting as a way to prevent fugitive emissions of methane and create a quality soil amendment; believes that incineration of waste is at odds with a fully circular economy; calls, therefore, on Member States to end support schemes for incineration facilities and to plan their progressive decommissioning, starting with the least efficient ones;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Highlights that reservoir surfaces are a globally significant source of GHG emissions, including methane mainly due to sediment accumulation in impoundments, and that dam removal can result in strong reduction of emissions from impounded areas; calls on the European Environmental Agency to collect information about this subject to inform the assessment of potential policy measures;