Methane is 86 times worse for global warming than carbon dioxide. And today MEPs on Parliament’s Environment and Industry committees have called on the Commission to draw up a specific strategy to tackle the greenhouse gas.

The EEB welcomes this long overdue political will [1] to incorporate a specific methane strategy into new plans [2] on how European countries can meet EU energy and climate targets.

The EEB is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations with around 140 organisations in more than 30 countries.

Around half of methane emissions come from farming. Methane is also responsible for ozone formation, which has serious implications for human health. [3]

EEB Policy Manager for Agriculture and Bioenergy, Faustine Bas-Defossez, said:

“Excessive methane emissions, which are toxic for our environment, climate, and human health, are the by-product of a farming model that has left farmers reliant on exporting intensively-produced cheap meat outside Europe. To truly tackle methane’s devastating impact on global warming and its indirect impact on air quality we need EU protections and policy measures that adequately tackle the greenhouse gas and support the transition to a sustainable farming system that gives farmers fair prices for their produce.

“Let’s not forget that farming is one of the sectors that bears the biggest brunt of climate change, so ensuring the EU adopts a sound strategy on a potent greenhouse gas like methane is a win-win for the climate, the farm sector’s long-term ability to farm, and for people’s health.”

ENDS

Notes for editors:

[1] The call came in the form of an amendment tabled to by Green MEPs on a joint report from Parliament’s Environment and Industry committees.
[2] http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2016/0375(COD)&l=en
[3] https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2017