Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, so limiting its emissions from agriculture, waste and energy matters a great deal for the climate. Biogas plants can reduce these emissions, as long as they are leak-tight themselves.
RSSMethane emissions, greenhouse gas balance, the carbon footprint of fuels, EU climate policy and its impact on the industry.
How the Japanese GX-ETS works: the amendment of the GX act of 28 May 2025, the start of the mandatory system on 1 April 2026, a threshold of 100,000 t CO₂, free allocation, a price band and offsets of up to 10%.
In the 2026 State of the Union address the Commission President named biomethane, alongside renewable and nuclear energy, as a domestic, affordable source of energy; imported fossil fuels have cost Europe an additional EUR 90 billion since the start of the conflict.
On 9 July 2026 the State Council published an action plan for the emissions peak for the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan: CO₂ intensity 17% lower than in 2025 and 25% of energy from non-fossil sources.
Agriculture emits methane and N₂O, and a biogas plant can reduce part of the emissions from manure. We show what a biogas plant does for the climate, what it does not do, and how to calculate the effect for a farm.
Indirect land use change (ILUC) is the risk that energy crops displace food production. We explain how RED treats food and feed crops, waste and residues, and intermediate crops.
The German EUR 5 billion aid scheme in the form of carbon contracts for difference (15 years) supports fuel switching in industry; the technologies named include biomethane, electrification, hydrogen, CCS and heat recovery.
Biogenic CO₂ from biogas upgrading is easy to capture and can be permanently stored (BECCS). We discuss the chain, costs, the role of CCS and the EU framework for certifying CO₂ removals.
An analysis of the Clean Fuel Standard programme in Washington State: the January 2023 start, the role of biomethane, and the changes to book-and-claim accounting and avoided methane crediting that came into force on 20 November 2025.
K-ETS has operated since 2015 and covers more than 77% of the country's emissions. Phase 4 (2026–2030) increases the share of auctioning, especially in the power sector: from 15% in 2026 to 50% in 2030.
From 1 January 2026 the carbon tax rate in South Africa is 308 rand per tonne of CO₂e (against 236 in 2025); the Act already provides for rates up to 2029. We recall the history of the tax from 2019.
On 11 November 2025 the Korean government approved NDC 2035: a net emissions reduction of 53–61% relative to 2018. For industry the target is 24.3–31.0%.
An act of December 2025 changed the 2050 biogenic methane target from 24–47% to 14–24% below the 2017 level; the government announced the change on 12 October 2025, and the 2030 target (−10%) remained.
On 10 December 2025 the Council of the EU and the European Parliament agreed an amendment to the climate law: a binding 90% emission reduction target by 2040, international credits, a review clause and a one-year postponement of ETS2.
China has submitted its new nationally determined contribution (NDC): to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 7–10% from the peak by 2035. It is China's first absolute target covering the whole economy and all greenhouse gases.
EBA report of September 2025: by 2040 biomethane installations in the EU could capture up to 89 million tonnes of biogenic CO₂ a year. Today 125 installations capture about 1.17 million t.
On 18 September 2025 Prime Minister Albanese announced the 2035 target: a 62–70% emissions reduction relative to 2005. The government announced a package of more than AUD 8 billion, including a net zero fund and support for CEFC.
On 2 July 2025 the European Commission presented a formal proposal to amend the EU climate law with a target of a 90% net emission reduction by 2040. The bioenergy industry welcomed it as an important step.
We compare whole-cycle emissions for natural gas, LNG and biomethane from different substrates. We indicate what makes up the balance, how to calculate per MWh and why the results for biomethane differ so much.
In March 2025 China formally expanded its national ETS to steelmaking, cement and electrolytic aluminium. About 1500 entities and about 3 billion t of CO₂e of emissions were added.
Biogas upgrading yields a CO₂ stream of about 99% purity after drying in amine and cryogenic technologies. We analyse sales markets: beverages, packaging, greenhouses, e-fuels, and quality requirements.
On 26 February 2025 the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal and the Affordable Energy Action Plan. The European Biogas Association noted the lack of a clear pathway for biomethane.
CO₂ from burning biomethane is biogenic and in EU methodologies counts as zero, but climate neutrality depends on the feedstock, methane and N₂O emissions and land-use change.
According to the World Bank, the amount of waste in Sub-Saharan Africa will rise from about 174 million t (2016) to about 516 million t (2050), and at least 60% goes to open dumps. Where do the biogas potential and the methane risk come from?
Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 requires measurements, leak detection and limits on venting in the oil, gas and coal sector, including for importers. We explain its scope and its significance for biomethane.
