Press Release: Gas industry Manifesto lays down contribution to EU climate efforts

Brussels, 18 October 2018 – Affordability of energy sources and constant innovation are key to help the EU achieve its climate objectives’, says European gas industry partnership GasNaturally in its Manifesto published ahead of COP24. This approach will allow citizens to take active ownership of the energy transition and inspire other countries to follow the EU’s leadership.

‘By making sure these components are at the centre of its climate strategy, the EU will secure citizens’ support for deep emission cuts. The gas industry brings solutions which can be applied already today and works hard to scale up new technologies that will help ensure Europe’s prosperity in the long term, in a net-zero emission economy,’ says GasNaturally’s President Marco Alverà.

The Manifesto, launched at the Friends of Europe’s Climate & Energy Summit held in Brussels on 18 October, lays down the gas industry’s contribution to the EU’s climate efforts, namely:

1. Enabling fast and cost-efficient CO2 emissions reductions and improving air quality across all sectors of the economy, in particular by replacing coal with gas wherever possible.

2. Optimising infrastructure costs by using the existing gas resources and network as backbone for a reliable, hybrid energy system with an increasing share of renewable energy.

3. Raising the number of options available to consumers by developing innovative renewable and low-carbon gas projects.

4. Continuously improving its own efficiency and footprint, including the mitigation of methane emissions.

‘The largest share of our emissions comes from sectors difficult to electrify or decarbonise: heating, industrial processes, agriculture, transport, which together account for more than half of Europe’s consumption. Making smart use of natural gas with CCS, sustainable hydrogen, or biomethane can make a real difference in these sectors. We are ready to work with policymakers on this,’ added Marco Alverà.

The gas industry is investing heavily in technologies with long-term CO2 reduction potential. These will be crucial in ambitious climate scenarios, as recently demonstrated in a report by the IPCC. In parallel, the gas sector is doing its part to reduce its share of overall EU methane emissions through a number of cross-industry initiatives.

‘If we really want to go the extra mile, we need political support to expand R&D&I programmes to include innovative gas technologies, and a cross-sectoral, holistic approach to methane emissions. Anything less runs the risk of falling short of our climate objectives.’concluded Marco Alverà.

The Manifesto is available here.