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.
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On 16 August 2022 the US President signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate package in the country's history. It includes, among other things, a charge on methane emissions from the oil and gas sector and tax incentives for renewables, including biogas.
In the night of 28 to 29 June 2022 EU environment ministers agreed their position on the reform of the ETS, the CBAM mechanism and the Social Climate Fund. This marks the start of negotiations with Parliament.
Climate Change Law 21.455, promulgated on 30 May and published on 13 June 2022, sets a target of greenhouse gas emissions neutrality by 2050 at the latest and sectoral carbon budgets.
The RED II directive allows you to use typical and default values from the annexes or to calculate actual emissions. We explain the differences, the digestate and off-gas combustion scenarios, and the profitability of your own calculations.
On 4 April 2022 the IPCC published the Working Group III report on emission reduction. In 1.5°C scenarios greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025, and methane fall by about one third by 2030.
On 21 March 2022 Decree 11.003 established the Federal Strategy to Encourage the Sustainable Use of Biogas and Biomethane, and Portaria MMA 71/2022 set up the National Methane Reduction Programme — Metano Zero.
On 28 February 2022 the IPCC published Part II of its Sixth Assessment Report – on climate change impacts and adaptation. Its conclusions on agriculture and food systems also affect the biogas industry.
Proposal COM(2021) 805 of 15 December 2021 introduces an obligation to measure, report and verify methane emissions, to detect and repair leaks, and to limit flaring and venting of gas in the oil, gas and coal sectors.
At COP26 the Global Methane Pledge was announced: a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030 relative to 2020. We explain the pledge, the EU methane strategy of 2020 and the consequences for biogas plants.
On 13 November 2021 the COP26 conference adopted the Glasgow Climate Pact: a call to phase down coal without CO₂ capture, to revisit 2030 targets by the end of 2022, and rules for the carbon market (Article 6).
On 2 November 2021 the Global Methane Pledge was formally launched at COP26. More than 100 countries joined, aiming to cut methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared with 2020.
On 18 October 2021 the Carbon Neutrality Commission approved a target of a 40% emissions reduction by 2030 relative to 2018, and scenarios for neutrality by 2050.
On 18 September 2021 the United States and the European Union announced the Global Methane Pledge: a joint goal of cutting global methane emissions by at least 30% by 2030 compared with the 2020 level.
The IPCC Working Group I report of 9 August 2021 confirms the unequivocal human influence on the climate and shows that cutting methane emissions quickly slows the rate of warming.
Fermenting slurry prevents methane and N₂O emissions from its storage. That is why RED II gives a bonus of −45 gCO₂e/MJ of manure, which makes it possible to obtain a negative carbon footprint for biomethane.
China's nationwide ETS started on 16 July 2021. It covers over 2000 power companies and about 4.5 billion t of CO₂ a year; according to the ministry it is the largest market of its kind in the world.
How the GHG emissions of biomethane are calculated in the RED II directive: the formula E = eec + el + ep + etd + eu − esca − eccs − eccr, the components, the fossil fuel comparator of 94 g CO₂e/MJ and the required reduction thresholds.
In May 2021 the EPA published a final federal plan for existing municipal solid waste landfills; the plan will enter into force on 21 June 2021 and cover existing landfills where no state plan applies, implementing the 2016 emission guidelines on landfill gas.
The International Energy Agency's "Net Zero by 2050" report describes the path to neutrality in the energy sector: no new oil and gas fields and a four times faster pace of wind and solar additions.
The UNEP and Climate and Clean Air Coalition report of 6 May 2021 estimates that reducing anthropogenic methane emissions by about 45% by 2030 will avoid almost 0.3°C of warming by 2045.
The European Parliament and the Council agreed on 21 April 2021 the text of the climate law: binding neutrality in 2050, a 55% net target by 2030 and a limit of 225 Mt CO₂ on the contribution of removals.
GWP converts methane into CO₂e, but the result depends on the time horizon. We explain the difference between GWP₂₀ and GWP₁₀₀, the IPCC values and how the choice affects the assessment of a biogas plant.
The German fuel emissions trading system (BEHG) started with a fixed price of EUR 25 per tonne of CO₂, rising to EUR 55 in 2025. For biomethane this means a new advantage over natural gas.
At the summit of 10–11 December 2020, EU leaders endorsed a binding target of cutting net emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 and announced its rapid implementation in law.
