Home
Cutting methane emissions in Europe and increasing European global leadership in methane mitigation
Our Proposition
This website has been designed to minimize energy consumption while browsing. Please consider using the Monochrome Mode for further energy savings.
This website has been designed to minimize energy consumption while browsing. Thank you for using the Monochrome Mode and saving energy.
The Methane Matters coalition of experienced European non-governmental organizations aims to significantly reduce methane emissions in the relevant agriculture, waste and energy sectors by 2030 and, at the same time, strengthen the EU’s leadership role in implementing the global methane commitment.
Methane (CH4) is a colourless and odourless gas and occurs in nature as the main component of natural gas, on the seabed and in permafrost, as well as in swamps and bogs. It is produced by natural and anthropogenic biological processes during the decomposition or fermentation of organic material. Methane is a Short-Lived Climate Pollutant (SLCP) and warms the planet over 80 times more than CO2 over a 20-year period. More than half of global methane emissions are caused by humans, primarily through agriculture (animal husbandry, land use), the waste sector (landfills and wastewater) and the energy sector (extraction and transport of fossil fuels), which have already contributed to a gross temperature increase of 0.5°C.1
Sources:
Image Credits:
1 Intro: Aerial-Drone on Adobe Stock
2 Intro: Pavel Losevsky on Adobe Stock
3 Intro: Ralf Geithe on Adobe Stock
4 Intro: PRILL Mediendesign on Adobe Stock
5 Intro: Sergbob on Adobe Stock
Main Sources of Methane Emission
The agricultural sector is responsible for around 54 per cent of all man-made methane emissions in the EU. There are already a number of cost-effective and immediately implementable solutions to reduce emissions. These include switching to a healthier and more sustainable diet, as well as reduced and improved consumption of meat and dairy products and technical measures in livestock farming.
The waste sector is the second largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the EU and contributes to around 27 per cent of all such emissions. The main strategies to reduce solid waste emissions are reduction, source separation and treatment of organic waste.
Around 20 per cent of global methane emissions are produced during the processing of gas, the extraction and processing of crude oil and coal and by fossil gas used in the petrochemical industry for the production of plastics. At EU level, excluding emissions associated with EU imports of oil, gas and coal, the figure is 17 per cent. However, a new analysis by the IEA shows that methane emissions from the energy sector are around 70 per cent higher than previously assumed.
Selected News and Releases
-
All Sectors
-
Agriculture
-
Waste
-
Energy
-
All Post Types
-
News
-
Releases
This report details methods to detect and reduce methane across the supply chain, prioritizing strategies that are both cost-effective and revenue-generating. It highlights cutting-edge technologies for leak detection, emission monitoring, and methane recovery, showing how industry can play a key role in climate mitigation. The document emphasizes actionable solutions that deliver environmental, economic, and operational benefits, offering stakeholders a clear path to reduce emissions while maximizing the value of captured methane and supporting global climate goals.
Air quality is a key social, economic and environmental factor within the EU, as pollutants such as ground-level ozone (O₃) have significant impacts on human health, the environment and public costs. The new report analyses the health and environmental effects of ozone exposure across the EU and selected Member States, based on the best available data from 2022. It also examines the role of methane (CH₄) in ozone formation and assesses the extent to which methane mitigation could help reduce ozone concentrations. The findings show that ozone limit values continue to be exceeded in many regions of the EU, highlighting the need for complex, cross-sectoral policy measures. Overall, the report provides a robust evidence base to support policy action to improve air quality and protect human health and ecosystems.
Ground-level ozone is an invisible air pollutant that causes significant damageto crops worldwide. Tackling methane emissions, one of the precursors, couldbe the key to curbing rising background levels of ozone.
This report explores CH₄ emissions across biogas and biomethane from their supply chain inthe Europe, analysing data from Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Poland, andRomania. These countries exhibit varying levels of biogas infrastructure maturity, regulatory frameworks, andemissions profiles.
A new report from the Methane Matters coalition – a consortium of civil society organisations – finds that The EU has handed the biogas industry billions of euros of public money…
Italy has experienced six spikes in dangerous ground-level ozone pollution this year, as levels reached beyond the 240 mg/m3 alarm threshold with devasting consequences for human and environmental health warns civil society. While ozone levels regularly breach EU air quality standards (anything above 120 mg/m3), the alarm threshold has only been breached once in the past three years.
Berlin, August 14, 2025: Amidst the current heatwave, ozone monitoring stations across Germany reported dangerously high levels yesterday, Wednesday. The most polluted federal states were North Rhine-Westphalia (peak value: Marl, 223 µg/m³), Hesse (peak value: Frankfurt am Main, 176 µg/m³), Bavaria (peak value: Neustadt an der Donau, 167 µg/m³), Lower Saxony (peak value: Braunschweig, 165 µg/m³) and Baden-Württemberg (peak value: Mannheim, 164 µg/m³). Across Germany, the daily maximum values of the 271 measuring stations averaged 138 µg/m³. This is well above the maximum 8-hour average of 100 µg/m³ recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Environmental Action Germany (DUH) has issued an urgent warning and considers it imperative that ozone limits in line with WHO recommendations be introduced by 2030: Ozone peaks represent a massive double burden on human health and the economic viability of agricultural businesses. The DUH is also calling for an immediate reduction in methane and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Maps produced by the European Environment Agency reveal a highly concerning picture of ground-level ozone pollution across Northern Italy (EEA, 2025a), with the Po Valley and its foothills ranking as Europe’s worst for summer air quality.
Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term but, unlike carbon dioxide, it breaks down quickly. Cutting methane now has been described as an ‘emergency brake’ to slow the pace of warming, avoid dangerous climate tipping points and buy time to take action in other areas.
Methane is increasingly being recognised as a pressing climate problem in Germany, according to a new survey published by Environmental Action Germany (DUH). According to the survey, 75 per cent of people surveyed in Germany are in favour of measures to reduce climate-damaging methane emissions – an increase of 4 per cent compared to the last survey in 2023.
The latest measurements by the Emissions Control Institute (EKI) of Environmental Action Germany (DUH) prove: The highly effective greenhouse gas methane continues to escape uncontrolled from biogas plants and sewage treatment plants. Due to the high number of plants, there is a significant increase in methane, especially in rural areas. At the same time, the data shows simple solutions: with technical standards and consistent maintenance, leaks can be almost completely avoided. Methane is more than 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period, making it the second most important greenhouse gas. At least a third of global warming is due to methane. And to prevent a climate catastrophe, DUH is calling for a national methane strategy, specific reduction targets and competent authorities for effective monitoring.
Some EU countries’ climate plans still show little action on agriculture, missing an opportunity to tackle the climate crisis and build resilience
While the Vision includes promising mentions on the need to review the EU’s protein production and consumption paths, it did not make any concrete commitments to re-think the food system and had no mention of the super-pollutant methane, which animal agriculture in the EU is largely responsible for. Over 50% of the EU’s methane emissions come from agriculture…
The report analyses the utilisation of EU waste management funding in nine central and eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Poland. It finds that many of these countries are lagging far behind optimal waste management practices, especially in biowaste separation and recycling, largely due to a lack of targeted funding for higher-tier waste management solutions, such as waste prevention, reduction and recycling.
In this briefing, Green Alliance shows that oil and gas companies operating in the UK North Sea wasted enough gas to heat over 700,000 homes in 2023, representing a lost market value of £250 million. Since natural gas is mostly methane, a potent greenhouse gas, this is both an economic waste and a significant source of untaxed pollution and climate harm. We outline three ways the UK could tackle this problem.
Brussels, 19 February 2025 – EU co-legislators abandoned ambition on textiles and food waste last night in their provisional agreement. Still pending the final adoption of the text, policymakers in the European Parliament have sidelined the institution’s previous position on food waste targets after the political shift to the right. Most Member States also strongly opposed stricter measures on food and textile waste.
In this report, we look at how Arla is putting up smokescreens through lobbying, greenwashing and creative emissions calculations in order to hide its true emissions, increase its political influence, maintain dairy’s privileged position and increase the company’s profits. This provides a textbook example of how Big Meat and Dairy get away with their heavy climate footprint, as outlined in the Changing Markets Foundation report The New Merchants of Doubt.
This report explores key measures that could be included in the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA) to strengthen recycling, reduce waste, and improve resource efficiency in the EU. It highlights the need for stricter separate collection rules, better sorting of mixed waste, and clearer standards for high-quality recycling to prevent valuable materials from ending up in landfills or incinerators. The report also examines how policy changes, such as residual waste limits and updates to EU waste laws, can drive real progress. By outlining practical solutions, it provides a roadmap for policymakers to create a stronger circular economy and secure access to critical raw materials. With the CEA on the horizon, this report offers timely insights to ensure the legislation delivers real environmental and economic benefits.
Image Credits:
"":